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For  Love  or  Crown 


"THE  NEXT  MOMENT  STEIN  SPRANG  AT  HIM  LIKE 
A  TERMER." — P(t£'C  26 j. 


SPECIAL  LIMITED  EDITION 


For  Love  or  Crown 

A       ROMANCE 

By  ARTHUR  W.  MARCHMONT 

Author  of  "In  the   Name   of    a   Woman,"    "A 
Dash  for  a  Throne,"  "By  Right  of  Sword,"  etc. 

ILLUSTRATED  BT  D.  MURRAY  SMITH 


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NEW  YORK 
B.  W.  DODGE  &  COMPANY 

Publishers 


CorancHT,  1 901, 
By  Fmdkmck  A.  Stokes  Company 

A  It  right*  reserved 


CONTENTS. 


CHAFTSS  PAGB 

I.  Celia i 

II.  Sir  Henry's  Reasons n 

III.  Was  it  Murder? 21 

IV.  The  First  Move 31 

V.  Celia  Learns  the  Truth 41 

TI.  A  Further  Development , 52 

VII.  Planning  a  State  Marriage..... 62 

VIII.  Katrine 73 

IX.  A  Genuine  Surprise 84 

X.  Celia's  Mother 95 

XI.  A  Family  Council 107 

XII.  Atthe  Embassy 118 

XIII.  The  Shadow  of  a  New  Decision 130 

XIV.  Almost  the  Marriage  Eve 144 

XV.  Gone! 155 

XVI.  The  Search 165 

XVII.  The  Letters 175 

XVIII.  At  Crudenstadt 184 

XIX.  News  from  Katrine 195 

XX.  The  Challenge 207 

XXI.  The  Night 217 


2137229 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PACK 

XXII.  Tricked 229 

XXIII.  A  Strange  Development 240 

XXIV.  The  Work  of  Rescue 251 

XXV.  Together  Once  More 265 

XXVI.  Net  Making  and  Net  Breaking 279 

XXVII.  The  Net  Proves  its  Strength 289 

XXVIII.  Schwartz  Brings  Strange  News 302 

XXIX.  Celia  Writes 313 

XXX.  Death  to  the  Rescue 329 

XXXI.  At  Last 345 


FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 


CHAPTER  I. 

CELIA. 


LOVE  laughs  at  locks  and  bolts  and  bars  and  every 
other  kind  of  obstacle,  and  so  Celia  and  I  were  sitting 
hand-locked  on  a  bit  of  rock  on  Moreby  Point,  watch- 
ing the  waves  as  they  dashed  against  the  cliffs  below 
us,  and  churned  themselves  into  foam  on  which  the 
thin  April  sunlight  danced  and  sparkled  brilliantly. 

There  were  no  bolts,  or  bars,  or  locks  in  our  case,  but 
there  were  plenty  of  other  obstacles,  and  the  fact  that 
we  had  evaded  them  made  the  meeting  all  the  sweeter 
for  the  spice  of  defiance  to  all  our  authorities  that 
flavoured  it. 

"  There'll  be  an  awful  row,  Stanley,"  said  Celia, 
laughing,  as  she  turned  her  eyes  on  me.  "  Mrs.  Col- 
lingwood  will  glower  and  glare  at  me  when  I  go  back,  and 
put  on  that  horrified  expression  of  hers,  and  promptly 
write  off  to  Sir  Henry.  But  I  don't  care,"  and  she 
laughed  rebelliously. 

"  And  I'm  sure  I  don't.  Try  the  effect  of  one  of 
those  laughs  on  her  and  see  what  it  does.  It  would 
kill  my  anger." 

"  You're  a  goose,"  and  she  pushed  her  hand  further 
into  mine  and  nestled  closer  to  my  side. 

"  I  shall  get  it  too.     He'll  be  just  mad  with  me." 


2  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Sir  Henry  Meredith  was  my  uncle  and  her  guardian, 
and  in  both  our  eyes  a  somewhat  terrifying  old  man. 
"  But  I  don't  care,  either.  We're  not  doing  any  harm. 
I'm  twenty-five,  you're  twenty ;  quite  old  enough  to 
choose  for  ourselves.  And  if  he  doesn't  like  it  he  must 
find  his  own  consolation." 

"  That's  all  very  well  for  you.  I  don't  know  what 
he  can  do  to  you.  I  suppose  he  can't  do  much,  but  he 
can  pack  me  off  to  the  end  of  the  earth." 

"  He  can't  put  you  where  I  can't  find  you,  Celia. 
At  least,  he  hasn't  been  able  to  so  far.  Besides,  it's  a 
glaring  shame  to  shut  you  up  in  a  ghastly  place  like 
this  Moreby.  What  does  he  expect  ?  He  might  as 
well  stick  a  veil  on  you  and  shove  you  into  a  convent 
at  once." 

"You  wouldn't  find  me  there." 

"  I  would,  if  I  had  to  pull  the  place  down  or  break  in 
to  carry  you  off.  I'm  not  the  sort  of  man  to  be  beaten 
easily  when  I've  set  my  heart  on  a  thing." 

"  Am  I  the  '  thing '  ?  "  she  asked,  with  another  merry 
laugh. 

I  chose  to  interpret  it  as  a  challenge,  and  I  put  my 
arm  round  her,  and  drawing  her  face  to  me,  kissed  her 
on  the  lips. 

"  That's  one  of  the  things,"  I  answered,  as  she  strug- 
gled and  drew  away,  blushing  furiously.  "  And  now 
I've  another.  It's  time  you  wore  this,  Celia,"  and  I 
took  out  a  diamond  ring  that  I  had  brought  with  me. 
"  Give  me  your  left  hand." 

"  I  daren't,  Stanley." 

"  Daren't !  That's  a  new  word  in  your  vocabulary ; 
and  I  can't  very  easily  think  of  anything  you  daren't 
do.     Give  me  your  hand." 


CELIA  3 

"  Daren't  I  refuse  ? "  she  asked,  with  a  glance  of 
witching  roguishness  in  her  bright,  laughing  blue  eyes. 
She  was  very  fair,  with  lovely  colouring,  hair  a  sheen 
of  gold,  complexion  clear  white,  with  a  ruddy  glow  of 
health  and  strength  ;  and  her  features  regular,  clear-cut, 
and  strong.  The  most  beautiful  girl  in  the  world  to 
me. 

"  Give  me  your  left  hand,  or " 

"  Or  what  ?  "  and  she  put  them  both  behind  her. 

"  Or  I'll  say  you're  afraid  and  sorry  I  came  to  see 
you."  She  capitulated  then,  and  gave  it  me.  I  held 
the  third  finger,  and  put  the  ring  close  to  it.  "  With 
this  ring " 

"  Stanley !  "  and  she  dragged  it  away  with  a  sharp 
tug.     I  looked  at  her  and  laughed. 

"  I  mean  it,"  I  said.  "  I  mean  that  if  I  put  that  ring 
on,  you're  never  to  take  it  off  until " 

"You're  behaving  abominably  to-day,"  she  cried, 
covering  her  blushing,  happy  face  with  both  hands. 
Her  bosom  was  rising  and  falling  with  the  quick  breath- 
ing of  emotion. 

"  Is  it  abominable  to  show  you  how  much  I  love  you, 
Celia?  To  make  it  plain  to  all  the  world  that  I  mean 
you  and  no  other  to  be  my  wife?  To  ask  you  to  wear 
the  proof  of  our  love,  that  all  the  world  may  see  it?  " 

"  I'll  wear  it,  Stanley,"  she  said,  instantly ;  and  she 
slid  her  hand  into  mine.  "  I  shall  be  so  proud  of  it." 
This  last  in  a  whisper. 

I  slipped  the  ring  on  then,  held  her  hand  tight  in 
mine,  and  kissed  her  again  on  the  lips. 

"  You  are  mine  now  for  always,  Celia,"  I  whispered. 

"  For  always,  Stanley."  She  drew  her  hand  away 
for  a  moment  to  kiss  the  ring,  and  then  slipped  it  back 


4  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

into  mine,  nestled  to  my  side,  and  leant  her  head  on 
my  shoulder ;  and  we  sat  in  another  delicious  silence 
and  watched  the  waves  and  the  sea-birds  and  the  sun- 
light. 

Presently  she  sighed  deeply,  then  laughed  merrily 
and  sat  up. 

"  Now  there  will  be  a  row;  but  I  shall  glory  in  it." 

"  I  don't  think  there  will,"  I  said  quietly.  "  I 
thought  of  that,  and  I  am  going  to  do  something. 
You  don't  think  I  should  leave  you  to  bear  the  brunt 
of  it  alone  ?  " 

"  Alone  ?  "  she  repeated,  with  a  quick  question  in 
her  voice  and  look. 

"  Alone,"  I  said,  enjoying  her  puzzlement. 

"  Why,  what  can  you  do  ?  I  should  like  it.  I  should, 
really.  I  should  like  to  have  to  bear  something  for 
your  sake.  I'm  not  a  bit  afraid  of  what  any  one  can 
say  or  do — now.  They  can't  do  anything  very  terrible. 
And  I  should  always  have  this  as  a  consolation,"  and 
she  fingered  the  ring,  with  a  look  of  pride  on  her  face. 

"  They  might  take  it  away  from  you." 

"  Stanley  ! "  and  a  light  flashed  into  her  eyes,  and 
such  indignation,  such  pride  in  her  new  possession, 
and  such  defiance  of  any  interference  with  it,  that  I 
was  glad  I  had  put  the  thought  into  words.  "  Do  you 
think  I  would  let  anyone  touch  that  ? "  she  asked, 
when  I  didn't  speak. 

"  I  shouldn't  care  to  be  the  one  to  try,  Celia." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  anyone  dare."  Then,  in  a 
lower  voice :  "  It  will  be  my  armour  against  all  their 
attacks." 

"  I  mean  it  to  be  more  than  armour.  It  shall  be  a 
key." 


CELIA  5 

"  A  key  ?  To  open  what  ?  Oh,  I  know — the  gate 
of  a  new  life,"  she  cried,  her  momentary  perplexity 
flashing  off  into  a  radiant  smile. 

"  I  meant  partly  that.  A  key  to  open  the  doors  of 
this  prison." 

"  There  can  be  no  prison  where  I  have  that — and  all 
that  it  means." 

It  was  very  intoxicating  sweetness  to  hear  this,  and 
for  a  while  we  lapsed  into  that  strange  lovers'  bliss 
which  finds  its  aptest  expression  in  the  rhapsodies  that 
are  barely  intelligible  to  any  ears  save  those  for  which 
they  are  murmured.  Then,  after  a  long  interval,  I  re- 
turned to  the  point  from  which  it  had  started. 

"  But  I  am  going  to  do  something,  Celia." 

"  I  wish  there  were  nothing  to  do  but  sit  and  dream," 
she  murmured,  and  sighed  happily. 

"  There  is,  however.  We  can't  hope  to  beat  my 
uncle  without  a  fight  of  some  sort,  I'm  afraid.  He's 
not  that  kind  of  man." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  It's  nearly  time  for  you  to  go  back  to  Mrs.  Col- 
lingwood,  for  one  thing — for  the  sun's  very  nearly 
setting." 

Celia  shivered.  "  I  dread  letting  you  go.  But  I 
don't  care  what  she  says.     Nothing  can  matter  now." 

"  I'm  going  back  with  you,  for  one  thing,"  I  said, 
and  she  started  and  sat  bolt  upright,  and  looked  at  me, 
surprise  in  every  feature. 

"  You  going  to  face  the  dragon  ?"  she  cried. 

"Yes,  I'm  going  to  face  the  dragon.  I'm  going  to 
tell  her  point-blank  that  we're  engaged,  and  that,  as  I 
shall  one  day  be  the  baronet,  she'd  better  be  careful 
how  she  treats  my  future  wife." 


6  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Celia  laughed,  happily  and  unrestrainedly.  "  Let 
me  be  there,"  she  said.  "  Do  let  me.  She  won't  be 
frightened  ;  but  she  won't  know  what  to  say." 

"  Of  course  you  shall." 

*'  I  suppose  it's  very  absurd,  but  I  have  been  so  long 
under  her  rule,  that  I  believe  I  could  be  afraid  of  her, 
if  I  could  really  be  afraid  of  anyone.  I — I  think  you'd 
better  not." 

M  But  how  would  you  account  for  that  ring  ?  " 

"  Tell  her  you  gave  it  me." 

"  Well,  then,  of  course,  I'd  much  better  do  that. 
There's  really  nothing  to  stand  in  the  way  of  our 
engagement  except  Sir  Henry's  stupid  prejudice,  or 
whatever  it  is;  and  I'm  the  proper  person  to  tell  her, 
as  I  don't  suppose  Sir  Henry  will." 

"  She'll  be  mad,"  said  Celia,  whose  long  subjection 
to  the  "  dragon,"  as  she  termed  the  stern  woman  in 
whose  care  my  uncle  had  placed  her,  had  bred  an  ex- 
aggerated conception  of  her  authority  and  power. 

"  We  must  go  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,"  I  said,  glanc- 
ing at  my  watch  ;  and  that  the  time  slipped  away  rap- 
idly may  be  imagined.  It  was  a  deliciously  unlucid 
interval. 

Then  we  rose,  glanced  for  the  last  time  seawards, 
and  walked  back  along  the  broken  path  to  the  gloomy, 
solitary  village  about  a  mile  inland  where  Celia  lived. 

"  When  I  have  settled  Mrs.  Collingwood,  I  shall 
tackle  Sir  Henry  at  once,"  I  declared. 

"  I  should  like  to  be  with  you  then,  too,  Stanley." 

"There  will  be  no  fun  in  that  interview,"  I  said, 
drily.  "  He  is  not  exactly  the  kind  of  man  to  get  much 
fan  out  of ;  and  I  know  he'll  be  as  unpleasant  as  he 
can." 


CELIA  7 

"  I  am  an  awful  lot  of  trouble,"  she  said  whimsically. 

11  The  more  for  us  to  laugh  at  when  it's  all  over." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  got  over.  But  Sir  Henry  seems 
a  hard  man,  although  he  has  done  so  much  for  me.  I 
owe  everything  to  him." 

"  And  he  has  an  awkward  habit  of  requiring  payment 
for  any  debts  in  full  and  at  the  most  inopportune  time." 
I  did  not  like  my  uncle. 

"  Can  he  do  anything  to  you — to  stop  this  ?  "  asked 
Celia,  with  unusual  nervousness.  "  I  am  not  afraid  of 
him,  but  if  he  could  I  should  be,  I  think." 

"  No,  he  can't  do  much.  He  can't  keep  me  out  of 
the  title  or  the  entailed  estates.  He  could  leave  his 
private  fortune  to  somebody  else,  of  course  ;  and  I 
should  be  rather  glad  if  he  did.  I  shouldn't  be  very- 
well  off  for  a  time — I'm  not  now.  But  that's  all — and 
it's  not  much."  I  laughed  with  the  contempt  of  healthy 
youth  for  mere  money  matters  ;  and  Celia  joined  in  the 
laugh  when   I   added  :  "  Nothing    can   keep  me  from 

if 

you. 

By  this  time  we  had  reached  the  village,  and  were 
near  the  house.  As  we  walked  up  the  narrow  front 
path  to  the  door,  Celia  whispered  that  the  dragon  was 
peeping  at  us  from  behind  the  bedroom  curtains. 

"  If  it  weren't  that  other  eyes  may  be  watching  us, 
I'd  kiss  you  here  in  full  view  of  her,  Celia,  just  for  mere 
devilment,"  I  said,  and  it  made  her  laugh,  as  I  in- 
tended. 

I  gave  my  card  to  the  servant,  and  said  that  I  par- 
ticularly wished  to  see  Mrs.  Collingwood  at  once.  We 
went  into  the  severely  furnished  drawing-room,  and, 
for  all  her  courage,  Celia  was  looking  nervous.  The 
environment  affected  her. 


8  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  rustle  of  a  stiff,  black  silk  dress  on  the  stairway 
and  across  the  hall  warned  us  of  the  enemy's  approach  ; 
and  purposely  I  drew  Celia  to  the  window,  pointed  to 
some  object  outside  and  said  something  to  make  her 
laugh.  In  the  middle  of  the  laugh  Mrs.  Collingwood 
— a  tall,  bony,  hard-featured  woman — entered.  She 
paused  in  the  doorway,  frowned  upon  Celia,  and  then, 
with  a  very  slight  and  ceremonious  bow  over  my  card, 
which  she  held  in  her  hand,  looked  at  me. 

"  Ah,  Mrs.  Collingwood,  how  do  you  do  ?  "  I  said, 
putting  an  unusual  and  unnecessary  warmth  into  my 
manner  as  I  hastened  across  the  room  and  held  out  my 
hand.  She  regarded  me  sternly,  and  held  out  two 
fingers  ;  but  I. captured  the  whole  hand  and  shook  it, 
while  I  smiled  into  her  face.  "  I  have  something  very 
particular  to  say  to  you ;  but  I  shan't  detain  you 
long." 

She  advanced  in  her  stiff,  stately  fashion  to  a  chair, 
and  was  in  the  act  of  sitting  down,  when  she  caught 
sight  of  the  ring  which  Celia  was  purposely  displaying. 

"  What  does  that  mean,  Celia  ?  "  she  demanded,  in  a 
quite  angry  tone,  as  though  my  love  were  a  child  and 
had  been  detected  in  some  wilful  mischief  and  wrong- 
doing. 

"  Ah,  I'm  glad  you've  seen  it,"  I  said,  readily,  in  a 
chatty  voice.  "  I  hope  you'll  like  it.  Celia,  let  Mrs. 
Collingwood  examine  it  closely.  It's  the  engagement 
ring  I've  just  given  Celia.     I  chose  diamonds " 

"  Take  it  off  at  once,  Celia.  How  dare  you  wear  it 
in  my  presence  ?  "  broke  in  the  dragon,  in  a  tone  of 
such  indignation  and  command  that  I  was  very  glad  I 
had  come  to  bring  the  news  myself. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Collingwood,  I  assure  you  that's  quite 


CELIA  9 

impossible.  Please  listen  to  me.  Celia  is  going  to  be 
my  wife.  I  love  her,  and  she  loves  me.  You  have 
been  young  yourself,  and  will  understand  these  things. 
Well,  as  we  are  engaged,  I  think  it  best  that  Celia 
should  have  the  usual  token  of  an  engagement ;  and,  of 
course,  she  will  wear  it  always." 

"  I  shall  write  at  once  to  Sir  Henry  Meredith,  and 
tell  him  everything,  and  that  you  have  been  down  here 
and  conspired  together  to  meet  in  this  clandestine  and 
secret  way,  hoodwinking  me  in  the  most  deceitful  man- 
ner in  the  world.  It  is  most  disgraceful,  most  deceit- 
ful, most  shameful." 

"  Excuse  me,  madam,  but  I  cannot  permit  you  to 
apply  such  terms  to  my  conduct,  nor  will  I  hear  them 
applied  to  Celia.  Apparently  you  forget,"  I  said,  put- 
ting as  much  authority  into  my  tone  and  manner  as  I 
could,  "  that  after  Sir  Henry,  I  shall  be  the  next  bar- 
onet ;  that  I  have  a  perfect  right  to  choose  my  own 
wife,  that  Celia  has  an  equal  right  to  consent  to  marry 
me." 

**  Sir  Henry  Meredith  will  never  consent ;  and  I 
repeat " 

"  Sir  Henry  can't  help  himself,"  I  broke  in,  not 
wishing  to  hear  any  more  of  her  adjectives ;  "  and,  as 
you  have  spoken  so  frankly,  be  good  enough  to  hear 
me  in  my  turn.  I  am  going  straight  from  here  to  my 
uncle  myself  to  tell  him  what  I  have  told  you.  If 
he  attempts  any  unreasonable  objection,  I  shall  simply 
disregard  it  ;  and  if  Celia  writes  to  me  that  any  kind  of 
restraint  or  unpleasantness  is  attempted  here  in  conse- 
quence of  this,  I  shall  make  arrangements  for  her  to 
be  removed  from  your  care  to  that  of  my  aunt  and 
sister." 


io  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

There  was  sufficient  determination  in  my  manner  to 
convince  her  that  I  was  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and  she 
made  no  reply.  Then  Celia  did  a  clever  and  character- 
istic thing.  She  knelt  down  by  the  old  lady's  lap,  took 
her  hand  and  said  gently  : 

"  You  will  not  be  sorry  because  I  am  so  happy,  Mrs. 
Collingwood  ?  " 

But  the  feeling  that  she  had  been  outwitted  hard- 
ened her. 

"  It  is  nothing  to  do  with  me.  You  have  deceived 
me,  Celia.  I  shall  write  to  Sir  Henry.  You  ought 
never  to  have  met  Mr.  Meredith  without  my  knowl- 
edge. You  both  know  what  strict  injunctions  Sir 
Henry  gave  me  not  to  allow  you  to  meet." 

"  If  I  could  not  see  Celia  at  your  house  because  of 
my  uncle's  absurd  prejudices,  how  was  I  to  see  her, 
Mrs.  Collingwood  ?  "  I  asked.  "  I  should  have  been 
only  too  eager  to  come  here  to  see  her.  But,  in  any 
case,  the  matter  is  settled,  and  no  questions  of  where 
and  when  and  how  we  ought  or  ought  not  to  have  met 
can  unsettle  it.  That  is  what  I  came  to  tell  you,  and 
what  I  am  going  to  tell  my  uncle." 

But  she  would  not  be  appeased.  "  I  shall  write  to 
Sir  Henry,"  was  all  she  would  say. 

"  As  you  will ;  only  please  remember  what  I  have 
said  about  my  aunt  and  sister,  and  that  I  am  quite  in 
earnest.  Good-afternoon.  Celia,  will  you  walk  with 
me  a  little  way  ?  "  and  before  the  dragon  could  recover 
from  her  astonishment  at  this  new  development,  Celia 
and  I  were  out  of  the  house  again,  to  say  our  good- 
bye in  private. 


CHAPTER  II 
SIR  henry's  reasons 

ALTHOUGH  I  was  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  my  de- 
termination to  have  my  engagement  to  Celia  an  ac- 
knowledged fact  and  had  taken  the  ring  down  as  the 
result  of  a  carefully-considered  plan  of  campaign,  and 
further,  had  spoken  so  resolutely  to  her  of  my  inten- 
tion to  set  my  uncle  at  defiance,  I  was  not  without  mis- 
givings at  the  thought  of  my  coming  interview  with 
him  as  the  train  carried  me  back  to  London. 

I  disliked  my  uncle,  and  the  feeling  was  mutual. 
My  father's  death,  some  ten  years  before,  had  left  him 
my  guardian,  and  he  had  treated  my  sisters  and  my- 
self with  neglect  and  harshness.  He  was  not  only  a 
severe  man,  but  an  unjust  one,  and  when  I  was  old 
enough  to  understand  things,  I  knew  that  his  life  was 
about  as  evil,  self-indulgent,  dissipated,  and  wrong  go- 
ing as  it  could  possibly  be. 

There  was,  moreover,  some  kind  of  mystery  attach- 
ing to  it  which  I  could  not  solve.  He  would  disappear 
for  months  at  a  time,  going  no  one  knew  whither,  and 
doing  no  one  knew  what,  except,  perhaps,  his  German 
valet  and  confidential  man — a  fellow  named  Schwartz, 
whom  I  detested  as  cordially  as  I  distrusted.  A  sly, 
unctuous  man,  with  a  servile  manner,  who  could  put 
insolence  even  into  the  waggle  of  an  eyelash.  I  had 
thrashed  him    once  when  I  was  about    eighteen,  for 


12  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

insolence  to  my  sister,  on  one  of  our  rare  and  exceed- 
ingly unpleasant  visits  to  my  uncle's  country  house ; 
and  I  knew  that  he  bore  me  a  grudge,  which  he  would 
repay  if  chance  ever  gave  him  the  opportunity. 

"  My  uncle  and  I  rarely  met  without  quarrelling, 
and  I  knew  that  he  would  make  this  coming  interview 
as  unpleasant  as  he  could.  And  his  capacity  in  that 
respect  was  very  considerable  ;  for,  with  all  his  vices, 
no  one  denied  his  cleverness." 

Who  Celia  was,  and  why  he  had  brought  her  up, 
none  of  us  knew.  He  had  certainly  taken  great  care 
in  her  education.  I  had  asked  him  about  her,  but  he 
always  told  me  to  hold  my  tongue ;  and  when  he  had 
learned  once  that  I  had  seen  her  without  his  knowl- 
edge, he  flew  into  a  great  passion,  and  ordered  me 
never  to  dare  to  do  such  a  thing  again.  More  than 
that,  he  hurried  her  and  the  dragon  away,  first  to  the 
Continent,  and  then,  on  their  return,  to  an  out-of-the- 
way  place  in  England,  where  I  should  never  have  found 
her,  had  she  not  written  secretly  to  my  sister  to  de- 
scribe her  troubles. 

His  antagonism  in  this  matter  baffled  me  completely. 
There  was  no  possible  reason  that  I  could  see  why 
Celia  and  I  should  be  separated  in  this  way ;  and,  with 
my  staunch  little  sister's  help,  I  had  systematically 
evaded  his  precautions,  and  outwitted  him,  and  had 
managed  to  see  her. 

It  was  late  when  I  reached  London,  but  I  drove  at 
once  to  his  house,  resolved  to  see  him  before  any  letter 
could  reach  him  from  Mrs.  Collingwood. 

His  creature,  Schwartz,  opened  the  door  to  me. 

"  I  want  to  see  my  uncle  at  once,"  I  said. 

"  I  am  afraid  he  is  not  at   home,   Mr.  Stanley.     If 


SIR  HENRY'S  REASONS  13 

you  will  step  into  the  dining-room,  I  will  go  and  see," 
he  answered,  with  his  customary  half-deferential,  half- 
furtive  air. 

"  I'll  go  and  see  for  myself,"  I  answered,  curtly.  I 
did  not  mean  to  give  my  uncle  the  chance  of  denying 
himself,  and  I  knew  I  should  find  him  in  what  he  called 
his  sanctum. 

"  It  is  as  much  as  my  place  is  worth  to  permit  you 
to  go  in  unannounced,"  said  the  fellow,  putting  him- 
self in  my  way. 

"  Very  well,  then  ;  come  and  announce  me,"  I  said, 
as  I  pushed  my  way  past  him  and  went  towards  the 
room.  My  height  was  useful  to  me  then.  I  was  close 
on  six  feet,  broad,  and  very  tough,  and  he  was  a  shrink- 
ing creature,  scarcely  above  my  shoulder.  He  would 
have  stopped  me,  had  he  dared  ;  but  he  contented  him- 
self with  another  protest,  which  I  heeded  as  little  as 
the  first.  I  knew,  by  the  way  he  hurried  to  the 
room,  that  I  had  guessed  my  uncle's  whereabouts  cor- 
rectly. 

"Will  you  wait,  sir,  while  I  prepare  Sir  Henry?" 

He  put  an  emphasis  on  the  word  prepare,  which 
made  me  look  at  him.  He  winced  under  the  glance, 
and  opened  the  door  without  any  more  nonsense. 

My  uncle  was  sitting  smoking  and  turning  over  some 
papers  as  I  entered  ;  and,  at  the  mention  of  my  name, 
looked  around  angrily  at  being  disturbed. 

"  Tell  him  I  can't  see  him,"  he  said,  as  though  he 
had  not  already  seen  me. 

"  Isn't  that  a  little  superfluous,  uncle,  as  I  am 
already  here  ?  "  and  without  more  ado,  I  went  to  him 
and  held  out  my  hand.  "  I  want  to  speak  to  you 
particularly." 


i4  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Can't  you  write  it  ?  I'm  very  comfortable  and  don't 
want  to  be  troubled.  Besides,  I've  something  import- 
ant to  think  about." 

He  did  not  offer  to  take  my  hand,  nor  did  he  raise 
his  eyes  from  the  letter  he  was  reading — a  discourag- 
ing beginning.  However,  I  drew  up  an  easy-chair  on 
the  other  side  of  the  fireplace,  threw  myself  into  it, 
and  answered  cheerfully : 

11  I  won't  interrupt  you."  I  lighted  a  cigar,  and  sat 
waiting  for  him  to  finish  reading  his  papers.  The 
silence  lasted  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  during  which  he 
behaved  precisely  as  if  he  had  been  alone  in  the  room, 
not  glancing  once  in  my  direction.  But  if  he  could  be 
obstinate,  so  could  I,  and  I  would  have  waited  not 
only  half  an  hour,  but  half  a  week,  if  necessary,  to  tire 
him  out  of  his  own  tactics. 

I  began  at  last  to  admire  his  excellent  acting,  and  I 
watched  him  closely  until  he  pretended  to  have  finished, 
packed  the  papers  up  neatly,  locked  them  away  in  a 
drawer,  and,  putting  his  keys  in  his  pocket,  got  up  as 
if  to  leave  the  room.  To  do  this,  he  had  to  pass  be- 
tween me  and  the  table,  and  I  drew  my  chair  across 
the  space  quietly,  and  blocked  his  path. 

He  stopped,  looked  down  at  me,  and  said : 

"You're  an  impudent  young  beggar  !  What  do  you 
want  with  me?" 

"  If  you've  finished  that  other  business,  I  wish  to 
talk  to  you  about  mine.     But  I'm  in  no  sort  of  hurry." 

He  laughed — a  short,  dry  laugh,  with  no  merriment 
in  it,  and,  sitting  down  again  in  his  chair,  took  a  cigar, 
and  said : 

"  If  you  were  always  as  impudent,  I  should  like  you 
better.     What  is  it  you  want  ?     Money?  " 


SIR  HENRY'S  REASONS  15 

"  No  " — I  shook  my  head — "  I  want  to  speak  to  you 
about  something  quite  different." 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?     What  is  it  ?  " 

"  I've  just  come  up  from  Moreby.  I  have  been 
down  to  see  Celia,  to  ask  her  to  marry  me.  We  are 
engaged  to  be  married,  and  I  have  given  her  an  en- 
gagement ring." 

I  looked  for  a  violent  outburst  at  this ;  but  nothing 
of  the  sort  came.  Instead,  he  looked  at  me  with  cyni- 
cal coolness,  as  though  I  were  a  particularly  pitiable 
specimen  of  a  fool,  nodded  his  head,  and  went  on  smok- 
ing, and  then  made  as  if  he  were  quite  willing  to  hear 
more.     A  most  aggravating  manner. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  said,  when  I  was  silent. 

"  I  wished  to  tell  you  at  once." 

"  Nothing  else  to  say  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Very  well.  Good-night."  His  manner  was  in- 
scrutable. 

"  Have  you  nothing  to  say  at  the  news  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Oh,  do  you  want  my  opinion  ?  " 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  no  objection,"  I  answered, 
beginning  to  feel  very  uncomfortable  at  his  strange 
attitude. 

"  Why  do  you  hope  that  ?  Are  you  prepared  to 
heed  it  ?  I  know  the  unreasonableness  of  the  average 
idiot  who  fancies  himself  in  love." 

"  I  would  rather  marry  with  your  consent  than  with- 
out it,  and,  of  course,  Celia  herself  is  anxious  to  do 
what  you  wish." 

"  When  are  you  going  to  be  married  ?  "  he  asked,  in 
the  casual  tone  in  which  he  might  have  asked  about  a 
perfect  stranger.     I  began  to  feel  my  blood  warming 


16  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

under  what  I  knew  he  intended  me  to  regard  as  his 
contemptuous  indifference  to  me  and  my  plans. 

"  Of  course,  that's  not  settled  yet,"  I  said. 

"  Oh,  well,  that's  all  right.  You'll  make  a  very 
striking  couple.  You're  a  tall  fine  fellow,  and  Celia's 
certainly  pretty.  A  pretty  pair  of  turtle  doves."  His 
sneer  and  the  dry  little  snort  of  a  laugh  with  which  he 
pointed  it,  brought  a  flush  to  my  cheek.  He  saw  it, 
but  pretended  to  see  nothing.  "  Oh,  by  the  way,  you 
forgot  to  drop  in  and  give  me  a  hint  of  what  you  meant 
to  do  ?     How  was  that  ?  " 

"  I  thought  you  would  have  done  your  best  to  pre- 
vent my  seeing  Celia  in  that  case,"  I  answered, 
bluntly. 

"  Very  creditable  to  your  perspicacity.  But  all  the 
same,  of  all  the  blundering  young  fools  that  ever  made 
a  deliberate  ass  of  himself  and  ruined  a  girl's  life,  you 
are  the  biggest  and  the  blindest." 

He  spoke  in  just  the  even  tone  in  which  he  might 
have  uttered  a  formal  congratulation.  Still,  open  abuse 
from  him  was  less  galling  than  his  tone  of  sneering 
indifference,  and  less  dangerous. 

"  I  don't  profess  to  understand  you,  although  that 
remark  is  much  more  in  character  than  your  previous 
ones.  You  are  the  one  man  I  allow  to  insult  me  with 
impunity.  But  I  don't  want  to  hear  any  more,"  and  I 
got  up  to  go.  I  had  done  my  errand.  Had  told  him 
my  news,  and  he  knew  I  was  in  earnest. 

"  Yes ;  I  suppose  you  can't  very  well  thrash  me,"  he 
said.  "  But  you'd  better  not  go  yet.  You've  done 
Celia  enough  harm  already,  and  though  I  shouldn't 
mind  letting  you  ruin  yourself,  I  don't  want  her  life 
wrecked  in  the  process.     Of  course,  this  thing  can't  go 


SIR  HENRY'S  REASONS  17 

any  further.  Sit  down.  Take  another  cigar.  You'll 
need  it,  probably,  to  settle  your  nerves." 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean  about  Celia's 
life  being  wrecked  by  marrying  me,"  I  said.  He  didn't 
answer  directly,  and  in  the  silence  I  sat  down  again 
and  lit  a  cigar.  I  was  now  more  uneasy  than  ever. 
He  stared  into  the  fire  very  thoughtfully.  "  What  do 
you  mean  ?  "  I  asked,  when  the  pause  had  lasted  some 
minutes. 

The  question  seemed  to  rouse  him  from  a  reverie, 
for  he  started  and  his  face  lost  its  close,  tense  expres- 
sion. 

11  Did  it  never  occur  to  you  to  ask  yourself  whether 
I  could  not  have  a  good  reason  for  keeping  you  and 
Celia  apart  ?  Or  again,  have  you  had  no  curiosity 
as  to  who  she  is?  You're  one  of  those  thoughtless, 
dogged  young  fools  who  think  everything's  right  if 
they  are  only  happy — but  you  must  have  had  some 
sort  of  intelligent  interest  in  the  matter." 

"  I  set  it  down  to  your  prejudice  against  me." 

He  laughed  sneeringly  again. 

"  Ah,  self  again.  Everything  that  suits  you  is  right ; 
everything  that  doesn't  is  motived  by  spite.  When 
are  you  going  to  learn  that  the  world  has  an  even  more 
important  axis  to  run  on  than  you  and  your  likes  and 
dislikes  ?  " 

"  What  was  your  reason  then  ?  "  I  asked,  passing  by 
his  taunt. 

"  Mainly  that  you're  absolutely  impossible  as  a  hus- 
band for  Celia.  Yes,  even  you,  Stanley  Meredith,  and 
future  baronet." 

"  Of  course  you'll  give  me  the  reasons  for  this  im- 
possibility." 


18  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Of  course  you  ought  to  have  come  for  them  be- 
fore you  did  this  blundering  mischief,"  he  retorted 
angrily. 

"  I  don't  see  yet  that  I  have  done  any  mischief. 
Celia  loves  me  even  as  I  love  her." 

"  And  because  two  turtle  doves  coo  in  the  same  key 
the  world  may  go  hang.  Oh,  the  unselfishness  of  this 
true  love !  "  and  he  threw  up  his  hands  in  mockery. 
"  Well,  and  who  do  you  suppose  Celia  is?"  He  leant 
forward  and  looked  at  me  sharply. 

"  I  don't  know,  and  for  that  matter  don't  care.  To 
me  she  is  Celia." 

"  Very  Arcadian,  no  doubt.  But  Arcadia  isn't  the 
world  we  live  in.  Don't  it  seem  odd  to  you  that,  as  I'm 
not  exactly  a  man  with  any  deep  mines  of  affection  in 
my  nature,  I  should  have  taken  all  this  care  about  her 
and  spent  all  this  money  on  her  education." 

"You  may  not  always  have  been  so  cynically  indif- 
ferent to  affection.  Mines  are  emptied  by  sudden  ex- 
plosions as  well  as  worked  out.  You  don't  volunteer 
much  about  your  past." 

"  By  Heaven,  you're  not  such  a  hopeless  fool  after 
all !  "  he  exclaimed  with  energy.  "  You've  hit  it  very 
nearly.     Celia  is  a  survival  of  my  past." 

I  looked  at  him  quickly  and  started  as  a  thought 
occurred  to  me.  He  read  it,  laughed,  and  shook  his 
head.  M  No.  She's  not  my  child.  If  she  was  you 
should  marry  her." 

"  Who  is  she  then  ? "  I  asked,  breathing  a  sigh  of 
relief.  He  pursed  his  lips,  set  his  features,  and  frowned 
heavily  as  he  looked  into  the  fire. 

"  I'm  going  to  tell  you  what  only  one  other  soul  on 
earth  knows — that's  Schwartz.     Celia  is  an  impossible 


SIR  HENRY'S  REASONS  19 

wife  for  you,  because  in  her  own  right  she  stands  next 
but  one  in  direct  succession  to  the  Throne  of  the 
Duchy  of  Saxe-Lippe,  and  the  life  between  her  and  the 
succession  is  only  that  of  a  lad  little  more  than  a  luna- 
tic in  mind,  and  so  feeble  and  frail  in  body  that  any 
day  may  see  the  road  clear  for  her.  Now  do  you  un- 
derstand what  a  fool  you've  made  of  yourself,  and 
what  a  wrong  you've  done  her?" 

I  listened  dumfounded  in  amazement  and  conster- 
nation. 

"  If  you  were  to  marry  her  and  her  brother  were  to 
die,  and  she  were  called  to  the  throne,  your  marriage 
would  be  declared  a  morganatic  one,  and  would  be 
set  aside  in  order  that  she  might  be  given  to  some 
other  man  with  proper  blood  in  his  veins  to  rear  Grand 
Dukes."  He  said  this  with  such  gloating  cruelty  that 
all  my  senses  were  impulsed  with  hate  of  him,  and  my 
hands  clenched  and  my  teeth  set  in  impotent  rebellion 
against  his  words. 

"  Nor  is  that  all.  You  would  interfere.  Don't  blame 
me.  Because  of  the  circumstances  under  which  Celia 
came  into  my  care,  I  have  been  a  proscribed  man  with  a 
price  on  my  head,  in  that  most  deadly  form  of  pro- 
scription— a  heavy  reward  for  the  man  whose  bullet  or 
knife  could  reach  my  heart.  By  luck  I  was  able  to 
disappear  at  the  time,  by  luck  again  your  uncle's  death 
gave  me  the  baronetcy,  and  no  one  looked  for  the 
quondam  colonel  of  the  German  Lancers  in  the  prosaic 
person  of  an  English  baronet.  But  at  any  moment 
the  secret  may  be  known  and  the  end  may  come.  That 
danger  passes  to  anyone  who  takes  Celia  from  her 
seclusion — with  another,  and  no  less  a  one,  believe  me 
— the  implacable  hatred  of  the  family  who  look  to  the 


20  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Grand  Duke's  present  line  being  extinguished  with  the 
feeble  idiot,  Celia's  brother,  Constans." 

He  paused,  glanced  at  me,  and  laughed. 

"This  sounds  high  falutin'  to  you,  I  suppose;  pre- 
posterous  in  this  dull,  ugly,  foggy,  prosaic  London. 
See  here,  this  will  tell  you  what  I,  cynically  indifferent 
to  everything  as  you  deem  me,  think,"  and,  putting 
his  waistcoat  and  shirt  aside,  he  showed  me  a  shirt  of 
mail  that  he  was  wearing.  "  I  have  worn  one  for 
twenty  years." 

I  said  nothing.  My  sudden  wonderment  bereft  me 
of  speech.  He  stood  up  and  shook  his  finger  warn- 
ingly  at  me. 

"  You  would  meddle,"  he  repeated.  "  I  warned  you. 
I  tried  to  keep  you  apart  from  Celia  and  all  this  mess 
of  intrigue  and  conspiracy.  You  would  plunge  in,  and 
you  must  take  the  consequences.  May  they  make  you 
no  worse  a  cynic  than  they  have  me.  Go  away  now. 
Come  to-morrow  morning  and  you  shall  know  every- 
thing. If  you  think  you  can  take  better  care  of  Celia 
than  I  can,  you  shall  try  your  hand." 

I  got  up  without  a  word  other  than  a  hastily- 
mumbled  good-night,  and  stumbled  out  of  the  room 
and  the  house,  mentally  blinded  with  what  I  had  heard. 
I  drove  home  in  the  same  dull  stupor  and  lay  tossing 
through  the  night  seeking  to  find  a  clearance  of  the 
chaotic  tangle  of  my  thoughts,  till  I  fell  asleep,  only 
to  be  awakened  in  the  grey  light  of  the  dawn  by  a 
loud  summons  on  my  bedroom  door. 

I  jumped  up  and  opened  it  to  find  Schwartz  and  my 
man  Wilson  there. 

"  If  you  please,  Mr.  Stanley,  Sir  Henry  has  been 
found  dying ;  will  you  come  at  once  to  the  house  ?  " 


CHAPTER  III 

WAS    IT     MURDER? 

T  HURRIED  on  my  clothes,  and  in  a  few  minutes  was 
in  a  cab  driving  furiously  to  my  uncle's. 

"  Tell  me  all  you  know,"  I  said  to  Schwartz.  "  Has 
he  been  taken  suddenly  ill,  or  what  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  precisely,  sir.  I  sleep  next  my 
master,  and,  as  I  always  did  in  the  night,  I  got  up  and 
went  to  him.  To  my  consternation  I  found  him  lying 
on  the  bed  with  his  clothes  on  in  a  state  of  collapse. 
1  I'm  done  for,  Schwartz,'  he  said.  '  Fetch  my  nephew 
at  once.  Go  ! '  I  insisted  upon  rousing  the  other 
servants,  sent  for  Dr.  Marston,  and  then  came  for  you." 

"  What  is  the  cause  of  it  ?  " 

"  I  know  nothing,  sir." 

"  And  suspect  nothing  ?     Make  no  guess  ?  " 

"  I  know  nothing,  sir,"  he  repeated,  and  I  questioned 
him  no  more. 

I  may  say  at  once  the  mystery  of  my  uncle's  death 
was  never  cleared  up.  To  the  doctor  he  gave  no  ex- 
planation whatever  except  that  he  had  been  taken  ill 
and  felt  a  pain  in  his  heart.  He  had  before  been 
treated  for  heart  disease,  and  the  doctor  was  satisfied 
apparently  that  that  was  all  the  matter. 

To  me,  however,  my  uncle  told  a  very  different  story, 
and  what  his  motive  may  have  been  I  cannot  divine. 
It  may  all  have  been  an  hallucination  ;  or  it  may  have 
been  that,  feeling  himself  at  the  point  of  death,  he 

21 


22  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

wished  to  produce  a  startling  impression  upon  me  to 
confirm  the  extraordinary  story  which  he  had  outlined 
to  me  on  the  previous  evening,  and  the  further  details 
of  which  I  was  to  learn  from  his  papers ;  or,  on  the 
other  hand,  all  that  he  said  may  have  been  true.  Wild, 
high-strung,  improbable  and  far-fetched  as  it  sounded, 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  he  told  me  only  what  had 
occurred,  and  that  his  death  was  due  to  murder  and 
not  to  natural  causes.  There  was  one  curious  item  in 
confirmation  which  made  a  great  impression  upon  me. 
A  servant  who  had  been  recently  taken  into  service 
had  disappeared  on  the  following  morning,  and  in 
her  room  was  found  a  pair  of  peculiarly-shaped  forcep- 
pliers. 

Let  me  give  the  events  in  due  sequence,  however. 

When  I  reached  my  uncle's  room  the  doctor  had 
finished  with  him,  and  Sir  Henry,  who  had  been  wait- 
ing eagerly  for  my  arrival,  at  once  motioned  me  to  the 
bedside. 

"  Pack  'em  all  off,"  he  said,  speaking  slowly  and 
with  great  difficulty  ;  and  I  cleared  the  room  promptly. 

"  I'm  done  for.  Marston  says  heart.  Let  that  be 
the  public  reason.  No  one  need  know  the  truth  but 
you."  The  effort  to  speak  exhausted  him  greatly,  and 
there  were  long  gaps  between  his  words,  many  of  which 
only  came  after  much  gasping  and  striving. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  lie  quiet  ?  You  will  only  ex- 
haust yourself." 

His  white  face  gathered  in  a  frown  at  this,  and  his 
lips  muttered  something  I  could  not  catch.  It  would 
not  have  surprised  me,  even  at  such  a  moment,  to  hear 
an  oath.     He  looked  it. 

"  Listen.     They  found  me.     I  woke  up.     Two  men 


WAS  IT  MURDER?  23 

were  in  my  room.  They  told  me  their  errand  first, 
threatened  to  shoot  me,  and  then  forced  something 
down  my  throat — poison.  I  didn't  tell.  But  you 
must  look  out." 

I  listened  to  the  incoherent,  rambling,  impossible 
tale  with  astonishment  and  incredulity,  and  I  suppose 
he  saw  I  did  not  credit  it,  although  I  said,  quietly  : 

"  It  is  very  terrible,  It  must  be  looked  into.  But 
if  you  try  and  rest  quietly  it'll  be  much  the  best  thing. 
Quiet  is  what  you  want." 

My  impression  was  that  he  had  suddenly  gone  clean 
out  of  his  mind. 

His  irritation  with  me  at  this  seemed  to  give  him 
strength,  for  he  surprised  me  with  the  vigour  of  his 
next  words : 

"  You're  a  fool,  Stanley.  What  I  say  is  true,"  and 
then  the  spasm  of  strength  passed,  and  he  lay  quite 
still  and  white  on  the  bed. 

I  waited  some  time  in  silence  when,  thinking  the 
doctor  should  be  in  attendance,  I  bent  over  and  asked 
him  : 

"  Have  you  anything  else  to  say  to  me  ?" 

"  Remember  about  Celia.  They  are  looking  for  her. 
Be  careful.  Her  papers  and  fortune  at  bank.  You'll 
be  her  guardian.     Look  out  for — for  Kronheims " 

At  that  point  he  fainted  and  I  called  in  the  doctor 
to  restore  him. 

The  fact  that  he  was  dying  affected  me,  and  in  many 
respects  softened  me  towards  him.  I  wrould  have  done 
anything  in  my  power  to  alleviate  his  sufferings  and 
ease  his  last  hours  ;  but  my  prevailing  thought  was 
that  his  mind  had  given  way  under  some  strain  or 
other,  and  that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  die  than 


24  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

to  live  on  a  madman.  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  feel 
any  deep  grief  at  his  death,  and  it  was  thus  with  some- 
thing of  surprise  that  I  saw  his  servant,  Schwartz,  man- 
ifestly overcome  with  a  passion  of  sorrow. 

My  uncle  did  not  rally  from  the  fainting  fit,  and  in 
less  than  an  hour  from  the  time  of  my  entering  the 
house  he  was  dead. 

Although  I  did  not  at  the  first  attach  any  importance 
to  the  extraordinary  statement  he  had  made  about  his 
having  been  poisoned  secretly,  I  questioned  Schwartz 
as  soon  as  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  from  his  pros- 
tration. 

"  When  you  went  to  my  uncle  in  the  night,  did  you 
see  anyone  in  the  room  or  any  signs  of  anyone  having 
been  there  ?" 

He  looked  much  surprised  at  the  question. 

"  No,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  answered,  readily.  "  My 
room,  as  you  know,  adjoins  his,  with  a  double  door 
between.  The  outer  door  of  my  room  and  that  of  his 
room  were  always  locked  by  his  orders,  but  the  doors 
of  communication  were  never  locked." 

"  Did  you  hear,  and  would  you  have  heard  anyone 
in  his  room?  " 

"  Not  unless  there  was  some  rather  loud  noise  made, 
sir.  I  heard  nothing  until  I  was  going  in.  It  was  my 
invariable  practice  to  go  into  the  room  at  least  once  in 
a  night." 

"  Did  he  say  anything  to  you  about  anyone  having 
been  in  his  room  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  but  I  seemed  to  read  it  in  his  face,  and 
believed  it  for  a  moment  until  I  found  the  outer  door 
of  his  room  locked  with  the  key  inside.  I  knew  then 
it  was  impossible." 


WAS  IT  MURDER?  25 

"  You  were  deeply  in  his  confidence,  Schwartz.  Had 
he  any  enemies  ?  " 

"  He  is  dead,  sir,  and  I  don't  know  whether  he  would 
have  wished  me  to  speak  of  such  things." 

"  He  had  told  me  something  of  the  old  Saxe-Lippe 
business.  Could  it  be  possible  that  anyone  would 
make  an  attempt  upon  his  life  for  any  reasons  con- 
nected with  that  ?  " 

"  He  lived  in  constant  expectation  of  it,  sir.  We 
were  always  on  our  guard,  always  prepared  against 
some  form  of  attack." 

"  And  the  cause  of  this  ?  " 

"  Are  matters  that  he  never  permitted  me  to  discuss, 
sir." 

For  a  moment  I  considered  whether  to  tell  the  man 
my  uncle's  extraordinary  story  of  the  secret  attack 
upon  him,  but  I  reflected  it  could  do  no  good.  He,  like 
the  doctor,  was  convinced  that  death  was  due  to  heart 
failure.  Why  start  a  scandal  which  seemed  to  have  its 
only  origin  in  my  uncle's  mental  failure  and  the  ground 
for  which  appeared  to  be  effectually  disposed  of  by  the 
locked  door  with  the  key  inside  the  room  ? 

But  when  I  was  alone  I  made  a  point  of  examining 
the  key  closely.  I  knew  of  the  burglar's  trick  of  turn- 
ing a  key  from*  the  outside  by  using  a  particularly 
powerful  pair  of  forceps  to  grip  the  small  end  of  the 
key  which  protrudes  through  the  lock.  I  found  on  it 
certain  marks  just  at  the  spot  which  might  have  been 
caused  by  such  use,  and  the  discovery  made  me 
thoughtful. 

In  the  morning  when  I  heard  of  the  departure  of 
one  of  the  servants  I  made  a  point  of  personally  ex- 
amining her  room.     Then  it  was  that  I  found  the  pliers 


26  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

and  made  a  little  experiment.  I  carried  them  to  my 
uncle's  door,  and,  having  locked  it,  tried  if  the  pliers 
were  strong  enough  to  turn  the  key  from  the  outside. 
I  did  it  without  any  difficulty,  and  a  very  short  exam- 
ination showed  me  that  the  lock  had  been  most  care- 
fully oiled  in  order  to  admit  of  its  turning  smoothly 
and  readily. 

It  was  now  quite  clear  that  if  anyone  had  really  been 
minded  to  get  into  my  uncle's  room  and  out  again, 
locking  the  door  securely  after  them,  here  were  the 
means  ready  to  hand.  It  might  not  be  more  than  a 
coincidence ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  might ;  and, 
with  this  in  my  mind  I  sent  for  the  police,  told  them 
that  the  servant  who  had  left  hurriedly  had  committed 
a  theft  of  some  particular  valuables,  and  desired  them 
to  raise  the  hue  and  cry  everywhere  for  her.  At  the 
same  time  I  put  private  inquiry  agents  on  her  track 
and  spent  much  money  in  the  search. 

But  it  was  all  to  no  purpose.  The  woman  vanished 
as  completely  as  though  she  had  been  a  wraith  ;  and 
thus,  although  nothing  was  ever  proved,  or  even  prov- 
able, I  could  never  think  of  my  uncle's  death  as  other 
than  a  baffling  mystery. 

It  had  one  marked  effect  upon  me.  I  was  young, 
strong,  confident  and  self-reliant;  able  to  see  very 
clearly  any  end  I  desired  to  gain,  and  quick  and  reso- 
lute, not  to  say  obstinate,  in  getting  to  it  by  my  own 
way.  But  the  completeness  with  which  this  stroke  had 
been  dealt,  supposing  my  uncle's  story  to  have  been 
true,  forced  home  upon  me  a  conviction  of  secret  dan- 
gers and  undercurrent  sources  of  violence  and  conspir- 
acy which  I  should  have  dismissed  with  a  jeer  as 
impossible  a  few  hours  before.     The  thought  of  that 


WAS  IT  MURDER?  27 

coat  of  mail  worn  for  twenty  years  under  the  frock  coat 
of  irreproachable  fashion  and  cut,  and  the  weird  story 
•whispered  between  the  laboured  gasps  of  the  fast  dying 
man,  were  enough  in  the  future  to  give  me  a  chill  and 
to  set  me  looking  for  the  chief  dangers  anywhere  but 
on  the  surface. 

I  found  my  uncle's  affairs  in  complete  confusion. 
He  had  left  no  will,  and  his  papers  were  in  absolute 
disorder.  But  this  did  not  trouble  me,  as  I  left  every- 
thing for  the  lawyers  to  settle.  But  what  did  trouble 
me  greatly  was  the  problem  of  Celia's  affairs. 

At  the  bank  I  found  the  papers  which  my  uncle  had 
mentioned,  together  with  instructions  for  them  to  be 
given  to  me  ;  and  I  set  to  work  on  them  at  once.  They 
told  me  an  extraordinary  story. 

They  were  all  the  papers  necessary  to  prove  her 
parentage.  She  was  unquestionably  the  daughter  of 
the  reigning  Grand  Duke  Constans  of  Saxe-Lippe 
and  of  his  wife,  the  Duchess  Marie ;  and  with  the 
proofs  of  this  were  a  number  of  documents  of  a  private 
character,  forming  a  chain  of  confirmatory  testimony. 
There  were,  further,  between  twenty  and  thirty  photo- 
graphs of  Celia  taken  at  various  ages  from  babyhood 
up  to  within  the  last  few  months,  and  I  saw  at  once 
that  my  uncle  had  hit  upon  this  unusual  but  shrewd 
method  of  establishing  her  identity  beyond  question, 
when  and  if  the  need  should  arise. 

In  addition  there  were  letters  from  her  mother,  the 
Grand  Duchess,  to  my  uncle,  showing  that  it  was  she 
who  gave  Celia  to  his  charge  ;  and  through  them  and 
a  statement  in  my  uncle's  handwriting,  I  came  upon 
the  secret  history  of  an  intrigue  which  was  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  whole  extraordinary  case.     The  part  which 


28  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

he  had  played  in  it  occasioned  me  more  surprise  than 
I  can  describe. 

I  had  known  him  always,  as  I  have  before  said,  for 
a  man  utterly  self-indulgent,  cynical  and  wrong-living ; 
and  yet  these  letters  showed  him  to  me  as  the  one 
right-thinking,  level-headed  character  in  all  the  mess 
of  intrigue,  wrongful  love  and  crime.  He  had  fought 
with  all  his  power  and  strength  to  protect  the  Duchess, 
and  to  keep  her  from  the  consequences  of  her  wild, 
wilful  nature ;  and  when  he  had  failed,  had  taken  upon 
himself  the  whole  blame  that  should  have  fallen  upon 
another  man,  her  lover,  and  had  shattered  his  career 
and  placed  his  very  life  in  jeopardy  to  save  her. 

I  need  give  no  more  details  of  the  affair  than  will 
suffice  to  make  clear  its  effects  upon  my  own  life  and 
Celia's.  The  Princess  Marie  was  deeply  in  love  when, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  she  was  forced  to  marry  the 
Grand  Duke  Karl,  nearly  thirty  years  older  than  her- 
self, a  morose,  stern,  harsh  tyrant,  without  an  atom  of 
sympathy  for  any  one  of  her  girlish  tastes,  and  yet  so 
much  in  love  with  her  beauty  that  he  was  consumed 
by  the  maddest  jealousy  of  any  man  on  whom  she 
ever  chanced  to  look.  He  shut  her  up  in  his  gloomy 
palace,vetoed  the  slightest  attempt  at  gaiety, surrounded 
her  with  a  lot  of  psalm-singing  Lutheran  parsons  and 
soured  old  women,  and  made  her  life  one  long  round 
of  monotonous  misery. 

Driven  in  upon  herself  in  this  way  her  neurotic  tem- 
perament sought  relief  in  morphia,  with  most  disas- 
trous results.  The  habit  became  a  curse,  and  when 
her  first  child  was  born,  the  doctors,  in  hope  of  a  cure, 
ordered  her  change  of  scene  and  circumstances.  This 
checked  her  mania,  but  unfortunately  product 


WAS  IT  MURDER?  29 

feverish  longing  for  excitement  that  she  broke  through 
all  the  restraints  of  Court  life  and  began  to  indulge  in 
wild,  but  generally  secret,  dissipation. 

At  this  point  my  uncle  intervened.  He  was  at  the 
time  high  in  the  confidence  of  the  Grand  Duke  himself, 
and  was  entrusted  with  the  task  of  effecting  a  reconcil- 
iation. He  soon  found  that  the  Duchess  was  on  the 
very  brink  of  ruin. 

She  was  in  touch  with  her  old  lover,  was  endeavour- 
ing to  bring  him  to  the  capital,  Crudenstadt,  and  was 
hopelessly  involved  in  the  coils  of  her  passion.  My 
uncle  succeeded  in  warding  off  the  crisis  for  some  time, 
until  the  second  child  was  born,  Celia.  But,  unhap- 
pily, the  Grand  Duke's  jealousy  then  fastened  upon 
him,  with  the  terrible  result  that  the  Duke  charged 
him  with  having  an  intrigue  with  the  Duchess,  sought 
to  have  him  assassinated,  and  declared  that  Celia  was 
not  his  child  but  my  uncle's.  To  cover  her  real  lover, 
the  Duchess  only  laughingly  and  partially  denied  the 
truth  of  the  charge,  and  the  matter  stood  thus  when 
an  event  occurred  which  provoked  a  tragic  crisis. 

My  uncle  was  in  the  act  of  flying  the  country.  He 
had  agreed  with  the  Duchess  to  take  Celia  away  with 
him,  and  she  had  placed  a  considerable  fortune  in  his 
hands  for  Celia.  At  that  juncture  the  Duchess's  real 
lover  was  killed  in  a  duel,  and  the  news  being  told  her 
suddenly,  the  poor  girl — she  was  then  barely  one-and- 
twenty — lost  her  reason  under  the  shock.  Her  mad- 
ness took  the  form  of  refusing  to'believe  that  her  lover 
was  dead  ;  but  her  poor  jangled  brain  was  possessed 
by  the  craze  that  my  uncle  was  he,  while  the  chance 
similarity  of  their  Christian  names  gave  an  apparently 
complete    confirmation   of   the  Grand    Duke's   madly 


30  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

jealous  blunder.  The  unfortunate  girl  filled  the  air 
with  her  cries  for  her  lover,  and  in  this  miserable  con- 
dition was  put  under  restraint. 

My  uncle  fled  taking  Celia  with  him,  and  though 
absolutely  innocent  of  a  single  harmful  thought  to- 
wards her  and  as  loyal  and  honourable  as  a  man  could 
be,  both  to  her  and  the  Grand  Duke,  he  was  every- 
where accepted  as  guilty,  and  drew  upon  himself,  not 
only  the  hot  anger  of  the  Duke  and  those  about  him, 
but  also  the  vengeance  of  the  members  of  the  Duch- 
ess's family  who  vowed  to  take  his  life  as  that  of  her 
betrayer. 

The  feud  had  never  died  out.  Among  my  uncle's 
papers — the  only  ones  which  he  had  kept  with  any  sys- 
tem and  regularity — he  had  included  several  proofs 
that  the  most  exhaustive  efforts  had  been  made  to 
trace  him,  and  that  on  the  occasion  of  secret  visits  to 
Saxe-Lippe,  two  attempts  had  been  made  upon  his  life. 
The  second  of  these  had  been  made  within  the  past 
few  months,  in  Crudenstadt,  where  he  had  been 
recognised. 

I  was  thus  left  to  speculate  whether,  after  all,  his 
strange  story  to  me  on  his  death-bed  was  true,  and  that 
these  sleuth  hound  enemies  had  tracked  him  at  last, 
or  whether  that  idea  was  no  more  than  the  fancy  of  a 
brain  and  nerves  worn  out  at  length  by  that  relentless 
fight  against  the  fear  of  assassination. 

I  could  not  determine  it.  But  what  might  it  not 
mean  to  Celia?  The  thought  disturbed  and  harassed 
me  sorely. 

What  ought  I  to  do  in  her  interest  ? 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE    FIRST    MOVE 

My  uncle's  death  produced  one  noteworthy  change 
in  me  in  regard  to  Celia.  While  he  lived  and  had 
sought  to  keep  me  from  her  I  had  rebelled  heart  and 
soul  against  his  interference,  Jiad  delighted  in  using 
every  means  in  my  power  to  thwart  him,  and  had 
longed  for  the  moment  to  come  when  I  could  marry 
her. 

But  now  I  repented  my  haste  and  contumacy.  The 
biting  sneers  with  which  he  had  shown  me  the  effects 
of  my  rashness  and  secrecy  rang  like  a  warning  bell  in 
my  ears,  and  I  was  torn  with  perplexity  and  harassed 
by  regret. 

What  I  had  regarded  as  the  only  obstacle  to  our 
love  was  removed  by  death,  but  the  obstacles  between 
us  were  greater  and  vastly  more  real  than  ever.  My 
clearer  knowledge  and  authority  showed  me  the  diffi- 
culties, and  my  freedom  riveted  the  fetters  upon  my 
action  more  firmly  than  ever.  The  mantle  of  responsi- 
bility had  fallen  on  my  shoulders,  and  I  found  it  heavy 
and  cumbersome  enough  to  impede  me  at  every 
step. 

The  one  great  act  of  my  uncle's  life  had  resulted  in 
his  unmerited  ruin  and  overthrow,  and  had  involved 
a  life  of  threatening  peril,  until  in  his  revolt  against 

3i 


32  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

the  sheer  injustice  of  it  he  had  developed  into  a  cynic 
and  a  rout.  So  this  great  love  on  which  I  had  fixed 
the  hopes  of  my  life  threatened  an  issue  to  the  full  as 
sad  and  perilous  for  both  Celia  and  me. 

Look  at  the  case  as  I  would,  with  all  the  infatuated 
casuistry  and  special  pleading  of  a  lover,  I  could  not 
bring  myself  to  decide  or  to  believe  that  we  could 
marry.  Not,  at  any  rate  until  she  knew  everything 
and  until  we  both  knew  more  of  how  the  matters  of  her 
destiny  as  a  possible  ruler  of  the  Saxe-Lippe  Duchy 
would  shape  themselves. 

I  did  not  work  my  way  laboriously  and  painfully 
to  this  conclusion  without  estimating  carefully  the 
chances  of  deliberately  destroying  all  the  evidence  of 
Celia's  history  and  letting  the  secret  of  her  identity 
die  with  my  uncle.  But  to  this  there  was  one  fatal 
obstacle. 

My  uncle's  man,  Schwartz,  knew  all  the  facts  about 
Celia's  infancy,  and  knew  also  Celia  herself. 

I  sent  for  him  a  day  or  two  after  my  uncle's  funeral 
to  question  him. 

"  You  are  aware,  Schwartz,  that  my  uncle  has  left 
no  will,"  I  said,  "  and  we  can  find  nowhere  among  his 
papers  any  mention  of  his  wishes  concerning  either 
family,  friends,  or  servants.  I  desire,  however,  to  try 
and  interpret  his  wishes  so  far  as  I  can.  What  are  your 
plans  ?  Do  you  wish  to  remain  in  my  service  or  have 
you  other  intentions?" 

"  I  have  scarcely  had  time  to  think,  Sir  Stanley. 
The  death  of  my  dear  master  is  such  a  blow  to  me. 
By  his  generosity  I  have  enough  to  make  me  independ- 
ent for  my  life,  if  need  be,  but  I  would  like  to  devote 
myself  to  furthering  his  plan." 


THE  FIRST  MOVE  33 

I  did  not  like  the  ring  of  this  at  all,  and  his  tone 
suggested  more  than  the  words. 

"  And  what  does  that  mean  in  plain  terms  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  His  great  object,  Sir  Stanley,  was  to  clear  himself 
in  the  eyes  of  his  old  master,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Lippe,  to  see  Miss  Celia  acknowledged  as  the  rightful 
daughter  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess,  and,  considering 
the  weak  health  of  her  brother,  probably  succeeding  to 
the  throne.  Anything  that  interfered  with  that,  sir, 
always  met  with  his  bitterest  antagonism  and  opposi- 
tion." 

I  knew  what  he  meant.  He  was  fully  aware  of  our 
love,  for  he  had  constantly  been  employed  by  my 
uncle  to  put  obstacles  in  the  way  of  our  meeting,  and 
there  was  an  implied  threat  in  his  words  that  he  would 
continue  to  do  so. 

"You  mean  that  you  wish  to  bring  about  that  re- 
conciliation ?  " 

"  If  you  are  taking  up  the  task,  Sir  Stanley,  I  shall 
be  only  too  glad  to  work  with  you  faithfully  and  serve 
you  as  I  may  claim  to  have  served  your  late  uncle, 
otherwise — "     He  paused. 

"  Well,  otherwise  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  shall  respectfully  ask  you  to  allow  me  to  resign 
my  position  in  your  household." 

"You  are  a  free  agent,  Schwartz.  Do  as  you  think 
best." 

I  was  not  going  to  be  drawn  into  committing  myself. 

In  the  pause  that  followed  he  glanced  at  me  very 
searchingly  as  if  to  read  my  meaning,  shuffled  about 
in  some  hesitation,  half-turned  as  if  to  leave  the  room, 
then  stopped,  looked  at  me  again,  and,  facing  round, 
stood  as  though  waiting  for  me  to  speak. 
3 


34  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Well,  have  you  anything  you  wish  to  say  ?  "  I 
asked. 

"  I  am  only  waiting  to  know  your  commands,  Sir 
Stanley." 

"  I  have  told  you  you  are  a  free  agent  and  can  please 
yourself.  I  have  nothing  to  add  to  that,  except  that 
if  you  decide  to  leave  I  shall  make  you  some  substan- 
tial present  in  place  of  the  legacy  which  I  have  no 
doubt  my  uncle  would  have  included  in  his  will  had 
he  made  one.     I  shall  give  you  five  hundred  pounds." 

"  That  is  very  generous,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  answered, 
with  a  bow.  "  Do  I  understand,  however,  that  I  should 
have  your  countenance  in  carrying  forward  the  work  I 
have  named  ?  " 

"  That  is  not  a  question  I  can  discuss  with  you  at 
present.  It  will  make  no  difference  in  the  sum  I  have 
set  aside  for  you." 

"  No  amount  of  money  would  make  any  difference 
to  me,  sir,  in  that  respect." 

"  I  was  not  trying  to  buy  you,  Schwartz,"  I  an- 
swered, irritably.  "  Take  a  couple  of  days  to  make  up 
your  mind  and  let  me  know." 

"  I  did  not  wish  to  suggest  you  were  bribing  me,  Sir 
Stanley,"  he  answered,  quickly.  "  I  meant  only  to  as- 
sure you  that  it  will  be  the  one  purpose  of  my  life  for 
the  future.  I  have  nothing  else  left  to  live  for.  If 
you  could  tell  me  that  you  are  going  to  work  for  the 
same  end  it  would  be  such  a  help,  sir  ;  that's  why  I 
said  what  I  did." 

"Very  well,  I  accept  your  explanation.  Come  to 
me  when  you  have  decided,"  and  I  sent  him  away  feel- 
ing that  the  interview  had  only  increased  the  difficulties 
of  my  position. 


THE  FIRST  MOVE  35 

Schwartz  knew  everything,  and  was  clearly  resolved 
to  use  his  knowledge  to  restore  Celia  to  her  birthright, 
and  this  meant,  in  other  words,  her  final  separation 
from  me. 

It  became  obvious  that  I  had  only  one  course.  I 
must  tell  Celia  herself  the  whole  story  and  then  lay 
plans  in  concert  with  her  as  to  her  future.  I  had 
written  to  tell  her  of  my  uncle's  death,  and  once  since 
to  explain  that  I  was  very  busy,  but  would  run  down 
to  see  her  as  soon  as  practicable.  I  resolved  to  try 
and  get  away  on  the  following  day,  and  I  wrote  to  her 
a  letter  saying  this  and  telling  her  there  was  strange 
news  for  her  to  hear. 

I  was  writing  this  letter  in  the  afternoon  when  my 
man,  Wilson,  brought  me  the  card  of  a   Captain  von 
Weimar,  and  as  the  name  was  strange  to  me  and  I  was- 
in  a  mood  to  be  suspicious  of  all  strange  Germans,  I 
scanned  my  visitor  very  curiously  when  I  went  to  him. 

"  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  ?  "  he  asked,  rising  and  smil- 
ing as  he  offered  me  his  hand. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  rather  formally,  for  I  did  not  care 
for  his  looks. 

"  I  am  the  bearer  of  a  letter  of  introduction  to  you 
from  my  friend,  Major  Von  Haussmann,  the  husband 
of  your  charming  sister,"  and  he  gave  it  me. 

My  sister  Alice  had  been  married  about  three  years 
before  to  this  Saxe-Lippe  Captain,  and  as  I  had  the 
worst  possible  opinion  of  him  the  letter  did  not  much 
increase  my  cordiality.  But  I  could  not  do  less  than 
welcome  him  to  London  and  express  my  readiness  to 
be  of  such  service  to  him  as  lay  in  my  power. 

He  thanked  me  very  warmly  and  chatted  glibly, 
telling  me  that  he  had  come  to  London  partly  because 


36  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

a  wealthy  relative  of  his,  the  Baroness  Borgen  had 
taken  up  her  residence  here  with  her  daughter,  and 
that  he  hoped  to  present  me  to  her. 

I  did  not  encourage  this  advance,  using  my  uncle's 
death  as  a  reason.     Then  he  surprised  me. 

"  Your  uncle  was  Sir  Henry  Meredith,  I  think,  at 
one  time  playing  a  prominent  part  in  Saxe-Lippe 
affairs?" 

How  could  he  know  this?  Alice  knew  no  more  than 
1  had  known. 

"  I  do  not  know  the  incidents  of  my  uncle's  career," 
I  said,  coldly. 

"  Indeed,  is  that  possible  ?  Yet  perhaps  so  ;  it  has 
only  just  become  public  knowledge  in  Crudenstadt. 
You  know  he  was  in  the  Saxe-Lippe  Army  in  his 
younger  days.  A  magnificent  officer,  held  in  the  high- 
est honour  and  esteem.  But  he  was  not  then  ennobled, 
I  mean  he  had  not  his  title.  Everyone  thought  he  had 
died  years  and  years  ago.  It  is  only  quite  recently 
that  the  facts  have  leaked  out,  although  there  was  a 
whisper,  I  remember,  that  he  had  been  seen  and  rec- 
ognised in  Crudenstadt  some  few  months  ago.  But 
no  one  believed  it." 

"  What  you  say  is  very  interesting,  but  you  must 
excuse  me  if  I  say  it  is  a  subject  I  do  not  wish  to  dis- 
cuss." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  am  sure,  if  I  have  been  in- 
discreet," and  he  turned  away  to  other  matters. 

And  while  he  chatted  I  sat  watching  him  and  wonder- 
ing whether  there  was  more  in  his  words  and  visit  than 
mere  coincidence,  and  whether  I  was  to  regard  it  as 
having  some  sort  of  connection  with  the  strange  in- 
tricacies which  were  now  developing  in  my  life. 


THE  FIRST  MOVE  37 

I  answered  him  somewhat  disconnectedly,  and  he 
noticed  my  abstraction.  I  wished  he  would  go,  but  he 
appeared  very  anxious  to  make  a  favourable  impression 
upon  me.  And  when  at  length  he  rose  to  leave  he 
said,  with  an  air  of  great  frankness : 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  intruded  upon  you  at  a  time  of 
much  trouble,  and  have  really  been  very  selfish,  but 
you  can  understand  how  great  a  stranger  a  man  can 
feel  coming  to  your  huge  city  and  knowing  no  one.  I 
did  not  refer  to  your  uncle's  affairs  without  a  reason, 
believe  me.  I  had  hoped  to  have  been  in  London 
earlier  and  to  have  seen  him,  because  there  was  a 
matter  of  great  importance  I  wished  to  see  him  about. 
I  will  not  say  anything  now,  as  you  do  not  wish  it,  but 
perhaps  you  will  permit  me  to  return  to  it  at  another 
time." 

"  If  there  is  anything  I  can  tell  you  pray  ask  me 
now." 

While  he  was  hesitating  as  if  uncertain  how  to  an- 
swer someone  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  room  and 
entered. 

It  was  Schwartz.     He  stood  as  if  waiting  for  orders. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  I  asked,  sharply. 

"You  rang,  Sir  Stanley?" 

"  I  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  Be  more  careful  in  the 
future,"  I  said,  in  a  sharp  tone,  annoyed  at  the  inter- 
ruption. 

As  he  bowed  and  went  out  I  saw  him  shoot  a  quick, 
searching  glance  at  my  visitor. 

"  I  will  ask  you  some  other  time,  Sir  Stanley,  when 
you  are  less  occupied.  Once  more  let  me  apologise 
for  this  intrusion,  and  express  a  hope  that  we  may 
meet  during  my  stay." 


38  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Perhaps  you  will  dine  with  me,  say,  on  Tuesday 
next.  Of  course,  you  will  understand  that  we  shall  be 
quite  alone." 

I  gave  the  invitation  unwillingly,  but  I  did  not  wish 
the  man  to  carry  away  with  him  the  impression  that  I 
was  a  churl  in  hospitality. 

"  I  shall  have  the  greatest  pleasure,"  he  answered, 
effusively;  "and  I  am  not  without  hope  that  I  may 
be  able  to  be  of  much  use  to  you  in  a  way  we  can  then 
discuss.  I  know  Saxe-Lippe  politics  very  thor- 
oughly." 

Again  he  surprised  me  into  thinking  there  was  some 
secret  purpose  in  his  visit,  but  I  shut  out  the  evidence 
of  this  from  my  face. 

As  we  shook  hands  I  heard  voices  and  some  signs  of 
commotion  in  the  hall,  and  when  I  opened  the  door 
for  the  Captain  to  leave  there  was  a  surprise  that  filled 
me  at  once  with  delight  and  embarrassment. 

Celia  was  in  the  hall  declaring  vigorously  to  Schwartz 
that  she  must  see  me  at  once,  and  was  protesting 
against  not  being  shown  in  to  me.  She  was  in  the  act 
of  entering  the  room  opposite  when  I  opened  the 
door. 

"  Celia  !  "  I  cried,  in  my  astonishment,  and  with  a 
laugh  she  turned  and  came  to  me  with  outstretched 
hands,  her  eyes  dancing  and  her  cheeks  flushed  ;  but 
seeing  a  stranger  with  me  she  stopped  suddenly  half- 
way. I  took  her  hands  warmly.  "  Just  a  moment," 
I  whispered. 

Captain  von  Weimar  had  his  eyes  fixed  upon  her 
beautiful  face,  while  old  Schwartz  tossed  up  his  hands 
as  though  in  dismay  and  looked  steadily  at  the  German. 

The  Captain  recovered  himself  in  a  moment,  bowed 


THE  FIRST  MOVE  39 

to  Celia  as  he  passed  her  and  then  to  me,  and  was 
shown  out  by  Schwartz. 

As  the  door  closed  behind  him  Celia  laughed. 

"Who  is  that,  Stanley?"  she  asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  His  name  is  Captain  von  Weimar, 
and  he  came  to  me  with  a  letter  of  introduction  from 
Alice's  husband.  But  what  is  much  more  important 
is,  how  came  you  here  ?  " 

She  laughed  again  at  the  question,  pressed  my 
hands,  looked  into  my  eyes,  her  own  lighting  with 
love  and  dancing  with  mischief,  while  she  bit  her  lip 
and  tried  to  appear  afraid. 

"  Are  you  very  angry?  I — I'm  a  rebel  and  a  runa- 
way, and  awfully  wicked  and  wilful.  But  I  couldn't 
be  exiled  any  longer.  It's  your  fault,"  and  she 
shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"Don't  I  look  very  angry?"  I  answered  smiling, 
and  was  only  kept  from  putting  my  arm  around  her 
and  kissing  her  by  the  fact  that  we  were  still  in  the 
hall,  and  I  saw  Schwartz  watching  us  gloomily  and 
furtively  while  he  pretended  to  busy  himself  at  the 
hat-rack.  "  Come  into  my  room  and  tell  me  all  about 
it,"  I  said,  going  towards  the  door. 

Then  Schwartz  came  forward  and  intercepted  me. 
His  look  was  very  dark  and  almost  threatening. 

"  Can  you  give  me  one  moment,  Sir  Stanley?  " 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ? "  I  asked,  carelessly,  over  my 
shoulder,  impatient  at  the  interruption. 

"  May  I  speak  to  you  alone,  sir  ?     It  is  important." 

"  Oh,  the  worries  of  authority,"  I  cried  lightly  to 
Celia.  "  I'll  be  with  you  in  a  moment,"  and  I  turned 
back  to  Schwartz  while  she  went  on  into  my  room. 
"  Now,    my   good    fellow,   what    on    earth    is    it  ? " 


4o  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

He  looked  at  me  with  an  expression  of  aggressive 
reproach. 

"  Do  you  know  who  your  visitor  was,  sir?  " 

"  No,  except  his  name." 

"  I  don't  think  you  quite  understand  all  that 
has  happened,  sir.  There  is  very  grave  and  serious 
news.  I  have  heard  to-day  that  the  young  Duke 
Constans  lies  dangerously  ill  at  Crudenstadt.  The 
Kronheims  are  moving  Heaven  and  earth  to  find  the 
missing  sister,  and  he  who  has  just  gone  out  is  the 
younger  brother  of  the  man  who  hopes  and  means  to 
get  the  throne  for  himself  when  the  young  Duke  dies. 
He  has  now  seen  Miss  Celia,  heard  you  call  her  by  her 
name,  and  recognised  her.  I  saw  the  recognition  in 
his  eyes." 

The  news  sobered  me  instantly,  and  I  bit  my  lip  in 
dismay. 

Then  Celia  put  her  head  out  of  the  door  and  called 
to  me  impatiently  :  "  Are  you  coming,  Stanley  ?" 

As  I  turned  to  go  to  her  I  caught  sight  of  my  face 
in  a  mirror,  and  was  startled  to  see  how  the  colour  had 
left  my  cheeks. 


CHAPTER  V 

CELIA  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH 

The  change  in  my  face  startled  Celia,  and  for  a 
moment  her  eyes  looked  troubled. 

"Have  I  done  very  wrong  in  coming  like  this? 
Does  it  trouble  you  ?  I  am  afraid  I  was  born  to  be  a 
rebel." 

I  felt  very  serious  and  am  afraid  that  I  looked  as  I 
felt.  The  sense  of  my  responsibilities  had  been  forced 
home  upon  me  with  such  sudden  completeness,  that 
for  a  moment  I  could  neither  say  nor  do  anything  that 
my  sweetheart  had  a  right  to  expect.  I  crossed  to  my 
table  and  she  followed  me  wondering.  Then  the  un- 
finished letter  to  her  caught  my  eye. 

"  I  was  writing  to  you,  Celia.  See,  here  is  the 
letter,"  and  I  handed  it  to  her.  She  took  it  but  looked 
at  me  instead  of  reading  it.  Our  eyes  met,  and  hers 
were  full  of  astonishment,  wonder  and  reproach.  She 
looked  down  at  her  engagement  ring  and  she  drew  my 
attention  to  it  by  twisting  it,  and  then  glanced  at  me 
again. 

I  understood  the  little  action.  It  was  the  first  time 
we  had  met  since  our  engagement,  and  my  manner  was 
a  sore  puzzle  to  her.     I  had  not  kissed  her. 

"  You  have  not  read  the  letter,  Celia,"  I  said. 

"  I  don't  want  to  read  it,"  she  cried,  tossing  it  down 
on  the  table  and  turning  away  to  the  window.  I 
thought  her  lips  quivered  slightly  as  she  spoke,  and 

41 


42  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

her  whole  attitude  was  certainly  a  protest  against  my 
strange  conduct. 

I  stood  by  the  table  playing  nervously  with  some 
papers,  perplexed  and  still  undecided.  I  longed  to 
take  her  in  my  arms  and  tell  her  again  and  again  what 
she  already  knew,  that  I  loved  her.  But  between  us 
two  the  barrier  that  must  keep  us  apart,  and  of  which 
I  must  tell  her  before  another  word  of  love  passed  my 
lips.     Before  I  spoke,  she  turned  round. 

"  I  will  go  back  again,  Stanley.  I  am  sorry  I  came. 
You  are  angry.  I  will  make  my  peace  with  Mrs.  Col- 
lingwood,  if  you  wish  it.  Schwartz  can  go  with  me. 
Good-bye,"  and  she  held  out  her  hand.  All  the  pleas- 
ure was  out  of  her  face,  which  was  wistful  and  very 
sad. 

"  Don't  look  like  that,  Celia.  I "  I  stopped  my- 
self on  the  brink  of  a  sentence,  drawn  by  her  sorrowful 
looks.  "  If  you  had  read  the  letter  you  would  have 
seen  that  I  was  going  down  to  Moreby  to-morrow  to 
see  you." 

"  Then "  she  began  eagerly,  her  face  brighten- 
ing, but  dulling  again  as  she  saw  no  change  in  mine. 
u  I  will  read  it,  please."  I  gave  it  her  and  she  read  it 
through  quietly. 

"  You  are  cultivating  a  very  formal  style,  Stanley," 
she  said,  drily,  as  she  put  it  in  her  pocket.  "  What  is 
the  news  you  have  to  tell  me  ?  " 

"  When  you  know,  you  will  understand  how  difficult 
I  found  it  to  write  to  you." 

"  You  mean  as  my  guardian?"  she  cried,  with  a  half 
mischievous  smile.  "  I  am  ready  to  hear  it.  Does  it 
account  for  all  this  change  in  you?" 

"  The  change  in  my  manner,  you  mean?  "  I   could 


CELIA  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH  43 

not  resist  saying,  and  she  was  quick  to  understand 
me.  The  woebegone  expression  passed  and  she 
laughed. 

"  My  new  guardian's  manner,  I  suppose  it  is.  I 
don't  like  it,  please.  Besides,  it's  so — so  unexpected. 
I  always  looked  for  it  in  Sir  Henry,  but  in  Sir  Stan- 
ley  -"  she  ended  with  an  expressive  and  pretty  ges- 
ture of  dismay.  "  Remember  I  am  a  rebel  and  very 
hard  to  drive  and  coerce.  Can  you  get  the  lecture 
over  soon  ?  " 

I  could  not  resist  a  smile,  and,  seeing  it,  she  made  a 
step  nearer  me,  but  drew  back  and  stood  with  an  as- 
sumption of  demure  humility  and  obedience.  She  was 
very  lovely  in  my  eyes,  and  the  temptation  to  fling 
everything  but  our  love  to  the  winds  was  almost  over- 
powering. In  truth,  I  was  longing  to  kiss  her  quite  as 
keenly  as  she  was  looking  for  some  sign  of  love  from 
me. 

"  Will  you  sit  down  here,  Celia  ?  "  and  I  drew  up  an 
easy-chair  close  to  the  table. 

"  Please.  I've  had  a  long  journey  and  should  like 
some  tea.  Even  criminals  must  eat  and  drink,"  she 
said,  as  she  sank  into  the  chair  and  looked  up  to  me 
piteously.  She  refused  to  take  the  situation  seriously. 
I  rang  the  bell  and  Schwartz  answered  so  quickly  that 
I  knew  he  must  have  been  in  waiting  close  to  the  door. 
He  eyed  us  both  closely. 

"  Bring  some  tea,  Schwartz,"  I  said,  and  as  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  begin  what  I  had  to  say  while  the 
servants  were  bustling  in  and  out,  I  sat  drumming  my 
fingers  on  the  blotting-pad  in  perturbed  silence. 

"  Are  you  going  to  keep  that  horrid  man  about  you  ? 
I  have  always  had  a  fear  of  him." 


44  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  I  believe  he  is  to  be  trusted,  Celia.  But  nothing  is 
settled  yet." 

"He  looked  so  angry  when  he  saw  me  arrive  that  I 
think  he'd  have  given  me  in  charge  to  a  policeman  if 
he  could,  and  he  made  such  a  fuss  of  hurrying  me  out 
of  your  way." 

"  I  wish  he  had  succeeded,"  I  said,  involuntarily,  and, 
while  her  eyes  were  asking  the  meaning  of  this,  the  tea 
was  brought,  Schwartz  again  coming  in  to  superintend. 

Celia  insisted  upon  pouring  it  out,  and  made  much 
of  the  task,  asking  me  how  much  sugar  and  cream  she 
was  to  give ;  whether  I  liked  this  and  that,  and  took 
such  pleasure  in  it  all,  and  looked  altogether  so  charm- 
ing and  bewitching,  that  I  watched  her  with  delight. 

11 1  always  think  one  is  more  human  after  a  cup  of 
tea ;  do  have  some  more,"  she  said,  holding  the  teapot 
in  readiness,  and  looking  at  me  with  her  head  prettily 
poised  on  one  side. 

As  I  handed  her  my  cup  our  fingers  touched.  I 
think  she  did  it  designedly,  but  as  I  glanced  at  her  she 
begged  my  pardon  for  her  clumsiness,  and  when  she 
had  filled  one  cup,  she  said  with  a  smile  I  had  better 
take  it  up  myself. 

She  was  making  my  task  much  harder,  for  it  seemed 
difficult  to  plunge  from  this  atmosphere  of  flirtatious 
trifling  into  the  ugly  business  of  telling  her  the  new 
position  of  things.  Suddenly  she  seemed  to  read  this 
thought  in  me,  for  when  she  had  finished  her  tea  she 
said : 

"  There,  I  think  I  have  been  very  good.  I  have  not 
teased  you  much  and  I  have  not  -punished  you  at  all. 
I  can  hold  that  over.  But  I  can  see  you  have  some- 
thing really  grave  to  tell  me,  and  I  will  try  to  make  the 


CELIA  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH  45 

telling  as  little  difficult  as  possible.  What  has  hap- 
pened, Stanley  ?  "  and  her  tone  and  manner  were  both 
serious. 

"  You  have  done  wrong  in  coming  up  like  this,  Celia ; 
but  not  for  any  reasons  that  you  can  see  yet." 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  That  you  are  not  angry  ? 
Then  I  don't  mind.  I  was  really  afraid  I  had  vexed 
you." 

"  It  is  rather  difficult  to  explain  things,  and  for  a 
moment  you  must  try  and  think  of  me  only  as — as 
guardian  and  friend.  Of  course  I  can  see,"  I  said, 
plunging  on  and  paying  no  heed  to  her  round-eyed 
look  of  consternation,  "  that  my  reception  to-day  has 
surprised  you.  It  was  bound  to — but  the  truth  is  things 
are  so  changed  from  what  they  were  that — that  I  couldn't 
do  anything  else." 

"What  is  changed,  Stanley?"  and  her  face  told 
me  the  only  change  that  could  chill  her  heart  with 
dread. 

"  No,  it's  not  that,"  I  said,  feeling  I  must  reassure 
her.  "  I'm  not  made  that  way,"  I  smiled,  and  her  eyes 
told  me  she  did  not  care  for  anything  else.  "  But  it's 
a  most  extraordinary  story,  Celia,  and  it's  bound  to 
make — to  alter  everything."  I  wasn't  getting  along 
very  glibly,  but  she  sat  with  her  face  turned  towards  me, 
a  look  of  deep,  close  interest  on  it.  She  was  earnest 
enough  now. 

"  Try  and  tell  me  shortly,  Stanley,  if  it  is  bad  news, 
as  it  seems  to  be." 

"  It  is  news  which  many  would  consider  the  very 
reverse  of  bad,  for  it  may  mean  great  things  for  you. 
Did  my  uncle  ever  drop  you  a  hint  about  your  past — 
your  parents,  I  mean  ?  " 


46  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  No.  I  have  often  wondered  and  wondered  till 
sometimes  my  heart  ached."  Her  eyes  grew  tender 
and  very  grave.  "  Are  you  going  to  tell  me  ?  Is 
it  that  which  has  caused  all  this  difference  in  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  nodded,  and  then  I  blurted  it  out  with  a 
rush.  "  You  are  by  birth  one  of  the  great  ones  of 
the  world,  Celia,  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  reign- 
ing Continental  Dukes,- the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe-Lippe, 
and  it  may  soon  be  the  case  that  you  will  have  to 
sit  on  a  throne." 

She  caught  her  breath  and  the  blood  ebbed  from  her 
face  leaving  it  very  white. 

"  Sit  on  a  throne?"  she  repeated,  under  her  breath. 

"Yes,  a  throne,  Celia.  It  came  about  in  this  way. 
My  uncle,  at  the  time  you  were  born,  stood  high  in 
the  confidence  of  the  Grand  Duke  and  the  Duchess 
Marie,  your  mother,  and,  in  consequence  of  a  serious 
difference  between  them,  she  entrusted  you  to  my 
uncle's  charge,  and  he  brought  you  to  England.  It 
was  agreed  that  you  were  to  be  kept  in  ignorance  of 
your  birth  until  the  time  when,  if  it  ever  came,  your 
claim  to  the  succession  might  have  to  be  made." 

"  My  mother !  "  She  was  learning  forward  in  her 
chair  now,  and  the  words  slipped  from  her  lips  like  a 
sigh.  A  long  pause  followed,  and  then  she  asked 
wistfully  :  "  Is  she  alive  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  Celia."     I  did  not. 

She  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  sat  there  for 
some  time. 

"  I  can't  realise  it,  Stanley.  What  will  it  mean  to 
us?" 

She  sat  up  and  looked  intently  at  me.  I  smiled,  Irrt 
no  smile  of  hers  answered  me. 


CELIA  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH  47 

11 1  only  learnt  it  the  night  after  I  left  you  at  Moreby." 
She  put  her  hand  up  and  kissed  her  engagement  ring. 
"  Yes,  just  after  I  had  given  you  that.  It  was  because 
of  this  secret  that  my  uncle  had  endeavoured  to  pre- 
vent my  seeing  you.  He  knew  the  impossibility,"  I 
said,  as  gently  as  I  could  utter  the  words. 

She  frowned  at  them  and  locked  her  fingers  together. 

"  Do  you  mean "  she  began. 

"  He  saw  that  a  man  in  my  position,  a  private  Eng- 
lishman, could  never  be  regarded  as  a  fit  match  for 
the  daughter  of  the  reigning  Duke  of  Saxe-Lippe,  and 
he  tried  in  his  rough  and  ready  way  to  prevent  what 
happened,  Celia.  He  should  have  told  us.  You  will 
need  now  to  be  very  brave." 

For  a  moment  a  flush  of  anger  and  indignation 
warmed  her  cheek  and  her  eyes  glowed. 

"  Do  you  want  this  back  ?  "  she  cried,  holding  out 
the  hand  on  which  the  ring  glittered. 

"  Don't,  Celia,"  I  exclaimed,  wincing  in  my  pain  and 
distress.  I  leant  my  head  on  my  hand  and  sighed,  but 
recovering  instantly  and  remembering  that  it  was  I  who 
had  to  be  strong,  I  said:  "  I  have  tried  very  hard  to 
see  the  right  thing  to  do.     Don't  make  it  harder." 

"  If  you  wish  it  back  I  will  give  it  you,"  she  said, 
stubbornly,  and  in  a  tone  that  seemed  hardened  by 
pride  and  resentment.  "  If  you  think  that  of  me  you 
had  better  have  it  back,"  and  she  half-drew  the  ring 
from  her  finger,  but  stopped,  caught  her  breath  again 
as  if  in  pain,  bit  her  lip  hard,  and  then  with  a  moan 
bowed  her  head  right  down  and  sat  crouching  with  her 
face  hidden  in  her  hands. 

"  I  don't  think  you  would  wish  to  recall  your  words 
because    of  any  change    in    your    position,    Celia,"  I 


48  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

said,  understanding  vaguely  what  she  meant,  and  lov- 
ing her  the  more  for  her  resentment  of  the  suspicion. 

Then  lifting  her  head  suddenly,  she  said  vehemently 
and  almost  passionately : 

"  Then  it  is  your  own  pride.  You  are  afraid  of  what 
the  world  would  say." 

"  No,  I  am  not  afraid  of  a  few  jeers  at  my  looking 
too  high.  I  am  only  trying  to  look  the  facts  in  the 
face  for  what  they  are." 

"You  are  able  to  look  very  coldly." 

Even  the  injustice  of  the  taunt  drew  no  protest  from 
me. 

"  I  have  been  face  to  face  with  them  for  more  than  a 
week,  and  they  were  first  impressed  on  me  with  the 
pungent  sharpness  of  my  uncle's  bitter  tongue.  You 
are  only  in  the  first  stage  of  suffering." 

"  Oh,  forgive  me,  Stanley.  I  am  so  selfish,  and  I 
love  you  so,"  she  cried,  in  a  passion  of  remorse  and 
despair. 

"  No,  my  dear,  you  are  only  natural.  We  must  both 
suffer." 

"  Oh,  I  cannot  lose  you,  I  cannot."  She  stretched 
out  her  hand  and  thrust  it  into  mine.     "  I  cannot  !  " 

My  fingers  closed  on  hers,  and  the  touch  stilled  us 
into  silence.  Suddenly  she  slipped  from  her  chair  to 
the  ground,  and  kneeling  by  me  she  threw  her  arms 
about  me  and  clung  to  me,  nestling  her  head  against 
me  and  caressing  me  with  her  hands  till  my  great  love 
for  her  threatened  to  burst  all  the  bonds  of  my  self- 
control. 

I  felt  that  her  love  must  have  its  course,  and  for  a 
time  made  no  effort  to  break  the  silence  or  move  her 
from  where  she  knelt.     I  sat  fighting  down  my  intense 


CELIA  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH  49 

and  absorbing  desire  to  press  my  lips  to  hers  as  a 
pledge  that,  come  what  might,  nothing  should  ever 
part  us,  while  I  strove  to  think  out  some  means  of 
softening  the  pain  I  knew  was  tearing  at  her  heart. 

When  she  grew  somewhat  calmer  I  lifted  her  to 
her  feet  and  we  stood  up.  She  wound  her  arms  round 
my  neck  and  put  her  face  close  to  mine  and  whis- 
pered : 

"  You  said  you  loved  me,  Stanley." 

"  I  shall  love  you  to  my  life's  end,"  I  answered, 
with  a  sudden  rush  of  passion  I  could  not  control. 
She  smiled  then. 

"  Say  that  again.  It  sounds  like  the  only  kind  thing 
you  have  said  since  I  came.     Do  you  really  mean  it?  " 

"  You  must  be  braver  than  this,"  I  answered. 

"  If  you  will  say  that  again  I  will  do  whatever  you 
wish." 

Then  I  grew  once  more  weak  and  unstable  as  water. 
I  drew  her  face  to  mine  and  kissed  her  passionately  on 
the  lips,  repeating  the  vow  with  all  the  energy  of  my 
love.  Her  face  lighted  and  her  eyes  shone  as  she 
smiled  radiantly  at  me. 

"  Whatever  must  happen  I  shall  know  that,"  she 
said,  and  drew  away  with  a  sudden  movement  and  sat 
down  again. 

The  moments  that  followed  were  full  of  embarrass- 
ment for  me,  but  Celia  was  now  calm.  It  was  as  if 
she  had  feared  to  lose  my  love,  but  being  now  assured 
of  that  was  prepared  to  face  anything. 

"  What  do  you  wish  me  to  do,  Stanley?  I  promise 
to  do  it." 

"  There  is  still  a  good  deal  to  tell  you  and  much  to 
be  decided."  And  I  told  her  so  much  as  I  thought 
4 


50  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

necessary  of  the  details  of  the  quarrel  between  her 
father  and  mother,  of  her  own  fortune,  of  the  later 
news  about  her  brother's  breakdown  in  health,  and  then 
of  the  efforts  the  Kronheims  were  likely  to  make  to 
thwart  her  chances  of  the  succession. 

"  Why  should  I  do  anything  to  keep  them  out  of 
it  ? "  she  asked.  **  I  do  not  want  it.  If  I  had  to 
choose  between  you  and  a  throne  at  this  moment,  do 
you  think  I  would  hesitate?  If  my  mother  is  alive 
why  has  she  never  sought  me?  If  my  father  cares  for 
me  why  has  he  done  nothing  to  show  it  all  these  years  ? 
They  want  me  when  I  may  be  of  use  for  their  own 
plans." 

I  framed  my  answer  to  try  and  make  her  realise  the 
duties  and  obligations  which  her  birth  imposed  ;  but  I 
was  no  very  ardent  advocate  and  she  remained  utterly 
unconvinced. 

"  I  would  rather  let  the  whole  matter  remain  a 
secret,"  she  said. 

"  That  is  impracticable,  because  Schwartz  knows  the 
facts  and  is  resolved  to  tell  them." 

"  Then  let  us  destroy  the  proofs  that  you  say  Sir 
Henry  kept  at  the  bank.  They  could  do  nothing  then, 
could  they?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  they  could  or  would  do,  but  we 
must  not  destroy  the  proofs.  What  I  have  to  see  to 
is  your  safety  until  these  matters  are  decided.  I  think 
you  should  return  to  Moreby." 

"  To  Moreby  and  the  dragon  ?  "  she  cried,  with  a  look 
of  dismay.     "  I  should  be  more  rebellious  than  ever." 

"  You  will  be  safer  there  than  in  London,"  I  said. 

"  I  will  go,"  she  agreed,  readily.  "  When  shall  I 
go?" 


CELIA  LEARNS  THE  TRUTH  51 

I  smiled  at  the  sudden  change  to  submission.  She 
looked  at  me  curiously. 

"  You  are  surprised  that  I  agree  so  easily  ?  Don't 
be  misled,  Stanley.  I  shall  be  submissive  only  to  a 
point.  I  will  never  agree  to  do  anything  that  shall 
part  you  from  me.  There  shall  be  as  much  comedy  as 
you  will — but  no  tragedy.  I  will  pretend  anything — 
anything.  But  you  understand  the  limit  even  of  pre- 
tence, and  it  will  never  be  more  than  pretence." 

"  You  mean  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  That  I  will  do  anything  on  earth  you  ask  or  tell 
me  except  the  one  thing  that  means  I  must  lose  you." 

Her  tone  was  firm  and  resolute  and  her  face  full  of 
energy  and  determination  as  she  spoke,  and  I  felt  she 
would  keep  her  word  whatever  happened. 


CHAPTER   VI 

' A  FURTHER  DEVELOPMENT 

If  Celia  was  resolved  not  to  see  the  tragedy  in  the 
perplexing  complications  that  had  come  into  our  lives, 
Schwartz  was  equally  determined  to  see  nothing  else. 
His  gloom  was  chronic  and  his  long  association  with  the 
real  or  imaginary  feud  which  had  shadowed  and  soured 
my  uncle's  life,  had  bred  in  him  a  readiness  to  see  in- 
trigue and  conspiracy  everywhere.  I  began  to  think  he 
was  disappointed  when  the  days  passed  and  nothing 
occurred  to  give  a  tangible  foundation  to  his  fears. 

Celia  did  not  go  back  to  Moreby.  She  pleaded  so 
earnestly  against  the  dulness  of  the  place  that  I  agreed 
upon  Brighton  as  a  compromise.  I  took  her  to  my 
aunt  and  sister  for  a  couple  of  days  while  I  made  the 
arrangements  for  Mrs.  Collingwood  to  go  to  Brighton, 
and  when  a  house  had  been  found  I  took  Celia  down 
there. 

Our  relations  during  those  two  days  were  somewhat 
peculiar,  and  puzzled  my  sister  Flora  considerably. 
We  had  called  Flora  Blossom  as  a  child,  and  the  name 
clung  to  her  always.  She  had  been  weakly,  and  on 
this  account  was  a  good  deal  spoilt  by  my  aunt  and 
the  rest  of  us.  She  had  taken  considerable  interest  in  my 
love  affairs,  and  now  that  Celia  and  I  were  free  to  be 
together  as  much  as  we  pleased,  she  could  not  under- 
stand why  we  seemed  to  hold  aloof  from  one  another 
by  mutual  consent. 
52 


A  FURTHER  DEVELOPMENT  53 

"  Why  doesn't  Celia  come  to  Cromwell-road  to  live, 
Stanley  ?  "  she  asked  me  when  I  had  explained  that 
Aunt  Margaret  and  Blossom  were  to  come  to  the  big 
house  with  me. 

"  Sea  air  is  so  much  more  bracing,"  said  I. 

"  As  Celia  is  ten  times  as  strong  as  I  am  what  does 
that  mean?     Don't  you  wish  her  to  live  with  us?" 

"  Brighton  is  very  close  now  ;  such  a  short  run  by 
train." 

"  Have  you  changed  to  her?  I  don't  understand 
you." 

"  A  good  many  problems  are  not  worth  ail  that 
trouble." 

"  But  you're  engaged,  aren't  you  ?  What's  that 
ring  on  Celia's  finger  ?" 

"  Has  shea  ring  ?  " 

"  '  Has  she  a  ring  ?  '  I  like  that.  As  if  you  hadn't 
seen  it !  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  seen  one,  of  course.  Rather  a 
pretty  ring  too,  now  you  mention  it.  Where  did  she  get 
it?" 

"  Where  do  girls  generally  get  engagement  rings :  I 
suppose  someone  gave  it  her  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  it  is  an  engagement  ring,  I  suppose  someone 
did." 

"  Why  do  you  want  to  make  such  a  secret  of  it  ?  And 
why  do  you  two  go  on  in  such  an  odd  fashion  ?  You're 
not  a  bit  like  an  engaged  couple. 

"There  may  be  a  very  good  reason  for  that,  Blossom, 
mayn't  there?"  and  I  smiled. 

"  I  think  you're  very  horrid  to  laugh  about  it  in  that 
way,"  replied  my  sister,  quite  irritably.  "  If  you're  not 
engaged  I  think  you're  behaving  abominably  to   her. 


54  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

You  don't  suppose  girls'  hearts  can  be  dangled  on  strings 
and  made  to  follow  at  heel  like  lap  dogs.  You'll  go 
too  far,"  she  added,  oracularly. 

At  that  moment  Celia  came  into  the  room  and 
Blossom  turned  the  fire  upon  her. 

"We  were  talking  about  your  engagement  ring, 
Celia,"  she  said. 

"  Do  you  mean  this  one?"  holding  out  her  hand  to 
Blossom  and  glancing  swiftly  at  me. 

She  was  quite  collected  and  straightened  the  ring 
unconcernedly. 

"  Of  course  I  do.     Stanley's  ring,  isn't  it  ?  " 

Celia  laughed  merrily.  "  Did  Stanley  tell  you  he 
gave  me  this  ring  ?"  as  if  in  great  surprise. 

"  No,  but  he  did,  didn't  he  ?  " 

"Blossom,  dear,  how  can  you  ask?  Why,  if  Sir 
Stanley  had  given  it  to  me  I  should  be  engaged  to 
marry  him,  of  course,  shouldn't  I  ?" 

"  Oh,  but  you  are,  you  must  be,"  protested  my 
sister. 

"  You  make  a  mistake  about  the  ring,  Blossom. 
This  is  not  an  engagement  ring,  at  least  in  the  ordi- 
nary sense.  Do  you  want  to  know  about  it  ?  Well,  I 
once  took  part  in  a  play,  a  comedy,  not  a  tragedy, 
and  this  ring  was  used  in  the  course  it  and  became 
my  property.  As  I  would  not  part  with  it  of  course 
it  became  mine,  and  it  is  thus  more  a  memorial  ring 
than  anything  else.     In  fact,  that's  how  I  regard  it." 

"  But  you  wear  it  on  your  engagement  finger." 

"  It  fits  that  finger  best  dear.  Indeed,  I  couldn't  get 
it  off  without  both  trouble  and  pain." 

My  sister  frowned  and  looked  up  in  Celia's  smiling 
face  with  perplexity  written  on  every  feature. 


A  FURTHER  DEVELOPMENT  55 

"  I  don't  understand  you  two  a  bit,"  she  said  pet- 
tishly. 

I  laughed.  "  I'm  not  sure  that  we  understand  our- 
selves," said  I. 

"  There's  nothing  to  puzzle  over,"  said  Celia.  "  It's 
just  the  memorial  of  a  comedy,  Blossom.  But  I  prize 
the  ring  none  the  less.  I  couldn't  prize  it  more  if  it 
were  actually  an  engagement  ring." 

"  We  shall  have  a  memorial  of  a  tragedy  if  we  keep 
the  horses  standing  much  longer,"  I  said,  and  then  we 
went  for  our  drive  and  the  next  day  Celia  went  to 
Brighton. 

But  tragedy  was  always  plucking  at  my  sleeve  in  the 
gloomy  form  of  Schwartz  ;  and  as  soon  as  Celia  had 
left,  my  own  heartache  and  inner  fear  that,  for  all  her 
resolution  an  ultimate  separation  was  inevitable,  made 
me  yield  a  ready  ear  to  his  forebodings.  And  some- 
thing occurred  a  couple  of  days  later  to  increase  my 
uneasiness. 

I  called  to  see  Blossom,  and  when  I  went  into  the 
drawing-room  I  found  there  a  handsome  woman,  richly 
dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion.  She  was  a  stranger 
to  me,  but  my  sister  appeared  to  be  on  friendly  terms 
with  her,  and  I  observed  with  some  surprise  that  they 
were  bending  together  over  an  album  of  photographs 
as  I  entered. 

"  O  Stanley,  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,"  cried 
Blossom,  getting  up  quickly  and  coming  to  me.  "  The 
Baroness  Borgen,  one  of  Alice's  friends  from  Cruden- 
stadt,  is  so  anxious  to  know  you.  This  is  my  brother, 
Baroness." 

She  gave  me  her  hand,  lifted  her  eyes  to  me,  and 
let  them  rest   there   just    long   enough   to   express   a 


56  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

little  emotion  of  pleasure,  and  then  dropped  them  dis- 
creetly. 

"  I  am  so  pleased  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Sir 
Stanley.  I  have  heard  much  of  you  from  your 
sister." 

The  voice  was  very  soft  and  pleasant,  and  the  man- 
ner more  than  cordial.  But  the  name  had  already  put 
me  on  my  guard.  She  was  the  "  relative  "  of  whom 
Captain  von  Weimar  had  spoken  to  me,  and  her 
presence  here  might  mean  another  thread  of  the 
web  which  these  people  had  come  to  weave  round 
Celia. 

"  Do  you  know  my  sister  well  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  cannot  say  very  well.  She  lives  rather  a  retired 
life,  you  know,  but  she  is  very  delightful,"  a  reply 
whose  equivocation  did  not  escape  me. 

I  hoped  Blossom  had  said  nothing  about  Celia,  but 
I  did  not  like  this  apparent  interest  in  the  photographs. 
The  Captain  had  seen  Celia  herself,  and  this  handsome, 
dashing  German  woman  might  very  well  be  anxious  to 
get  all  the  information  she  could  from  Blossom  and 
my  aunt.  I  resolved  to  stay  on  guard  until  she  left 
and  then  warn  them  both. 

M I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  from  a  relative  of 
yours,  I  think — Captain  von  Weimar." 

"Yes,  he  told  me  how  courteously  you  received  him, 
Sir  Stanley.  He  finds  London  a  little  dull  at  present, 
knowing  no  one." 

"  It  may  be  dull  for  a  stranger,  of  course.  Still,  he 
need  not  stay  long  enough  to  be  bored,  and  it  must  be 
a  great  change  from  Crudenstadt." 

"  Do  you  know  Crudenstadt?"  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  been  to  my  sister's  house  and  know 


A  FURTHER  DEVELOPMENT  57 

a  great  number  of  the  officers  there.  I  think  Captain 
von  Weimar's  regiment  is  there.  I  wonder  I  have  not 
met  him." 

"  His  regiment  is  not  quartered  there,"  she  said 
quickly,  with  a  smile  that  I  thought  was  intended  to 
cover  her  uneasiness  at  my  reference. 

"  Crudenstadt  is  a  delightful  little  city.  You  would 
revel  in  it,  Blossom.  Have  you  been  long  resident 
there,  Baroness?  " 

"  I  am  rather  a  bird  of  passage,"  she  replied,  parrying 
the  question  adroitly,  but  not  so  adroitly  as  to  hide 
the  fact  that  it  was  a  parry.  "  Since  my  dear  Baron 
died,  Katrine — that  is  my  daughter,  you  know — and  I 
have  scarcely  lived  at  my  home.  And  now  we  are 
trying  London." 

"  I  shall  hope  to  see  much  of  you  while  you  are 
here,"  said  I,  with  a  bow,  thinking  that  the  closer  I 
kept  them  under  observation  the  better. 

She  looked  at  me  very  keenly  as  she  murmured  :  "  I 
shall  be  delighted.     I  am  at  home  on  Tuesdays." 

It  was  obvious  that  my  words  pleased  her,  although 
my  tone  and  the  drift  of  my  questions  had  puzzled  her. 
She  turned  then  to  Blossom,  and  holding  up  the  album, 
which  I  noticed  she  had  kept  in  her  hands,  said  :  "  You 
were  showing  me  a  photograph,  dear." 

"  That  reminds  me,"  I  broke  in,  quickly.  "  There 
will  be  some  people  there  you  will  know.  Allow  me 
one  moment,"  and  I  held  out  my  hand  for  the  album, 
which,  as  I  knew,  contained  more  than  one  of  Celia's 
photographs. 

Our  eyes  met  as  she  seemed  to  hesitate  an  instant, 
and  then  gave  it  me  reluctantly.  I  think  she  under- 
stood me 


58  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  That  is  not  your  album,  Stanley,  it  is  mine,"  cried 
my  sister,  laughing. 

"  How  stupid  of  me.  Then  mine  must  be  on  the 
table  there,"  and  I  took  it  away  and  fetched  my  own 
in  its  place.  "  These  will  interest  the  Baroness  much 
more,  Blossom,"  and  I  opened  it  at  a  protrait  of  the 
Grand  Duke  Constans  and  handed  it  to  her. 

She  accepted  the  defeat  smilingly,  and  chatted  and 
laughed  as  she  turned  over  the  pages  and  recognised 
several  of  the  people  in  the  book  until  she  rose  to 
leave. 

"  I  shall  do  myself  the  pleasure  of  calling  to-morrow 
if  I  may,"  I  said,  as  I  shook  hands,  "  and  if  Captain  von 
Weimar  should  be  with  you  it  would  be  an  excellent 
opportunity  for  the  discussion  of  our  mutual  Cruden- 
stadt  associations." 

"  He  will  be  thereabout  four  o'clock,"  she  answered, 
and  her  look  and  tone  told  me  I  had  set  her  wondering. 

"  How  odd  you  were  about  that  album,"  said 
Blossom,  when  she  had  gone.  "  I  was  going  to  show 
her  Celia's  photograph." 

"  I  knew  you  were,  and  I  wished  to  prevent  it  just 
yet.     Had  you  told  her  much  about  Celia  ?  " 

"  No,  only  that  being  my  dearest  friend  I  wished  she 
was  in  London  instead  of  Brighton." 

"  Oh,  is  that  all  ?  I  am  afraid  it's  more  than  enough. 
I  ought,  perhaps,  to  have  warned  you  before,  but  for 
a  time  don't  speak  of  to  Celia  anyone.  I  can't  tell  you 
why,  but  it's  very  important." 

"  How  mysterious  you  are,  Stanley,"  she  cried, 
pettishly. 

"  I  haven't  time  now  to  be  plainer.  I'm  overdue  as 
it  is  for  an  engagement." 


A  FURTHER  DEVELOPMENT  59 

I  drove  back  without  an  instant's  delay  to  Crom- 
well-road. As  Blossom  had  disclosed  Celia's  where- 
abouts I  must  see  to  it  at  once.     I  sent  for  Schwartz. 

"  By  a  mischance,  Schwartz,  the  fact  that  Miss  Celia 
is  at  Brighton  has  come  into  the  knowledge  of  that 
Captain  von  Weimar.  Tell  me  quickly  what  there  is 
to  know  about  him  and  why  he  is  dangerous." 

"  The  danger  cannot  be  exaggerated,  Sir  Stanley. 
The  Kronheims  stand  next  in  succession  after  the 
Duke  and  his  children,  and  they  are  thus  particularly 
and  directly  interested  in  preventing  any  discovery  of 
the  missing  daughter  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess.  They 
are  a  wild,  reckless,  daring,  evil  lot,  and  would  stop  at 
nothing,  Sir  Henry  believed — and  he  knew  much  about 
them — not  at  kidnapping  or  even  violence  to  make 
away  with  Miss  Ceclia's  claims.  That  was  why  her 
whereabouts  were  always  kept  such  a  secret." 

I  listened  very  attentively  and  perceived  that  if 
there  were  really  anything  in  these  fears  of  his  and  of 
my  uncle's,  measures  of  precaution  must  be  adopted 
instantly. 

"  Get  ready  to  go  to  Brighton  by  the  next  train?  I 
am  writing  to  Miss  Celia  and  Mrs.  Collingwood.  They 
must  leave  there  to-night  without  fail,  and  it  must  be 
your  business  to  see  that  it  is  done  in  such  a  way  as  to 
give  no  trace  of  their  movements.  Go  for  to-night 
anywhere  along  the  coast  there,  to  Hastings,  or 
Eastbourne,  or  somewhere,  and  to-morrow  make  another 
move  to  another  town,  and  on  the  following  day  clear 
right  out  of  the  district  to  Bath,  or  Cheltenham,  or  up 
to  Leamington.     Miss  Celia  can  settle  that." 

I  wrote  my  letters  quickly,  promising  explanations 
later,  and  in  a  few  minutes  Schwartz  had  left.     I  sat 


60  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

thinking  out  a  plan  that  had  occurred  to  me  in  connec- 
tion with  these  people. 

I  was  not  much  of  a  diplomatist,  and  if  there  was  to 
be  much  intriguing  and  plotting  they  would  probably 
get  the  better  of  me.  But  I  could  at  least  hit  out  straight 
from  the  shoulder,  and  I  resolved  to  face  them  both  the 
next  day  and  tell  them  plainly  that  I  knew  their  object. 
Meantime,  I  would  get  to  know  what  I  could.  I  tele- 
graphed a  description  of  both  to  my  sister  Alice,  told 
of  the  letters  of  introduction,  and  asked  her  to  wire  me 
as  fully  as  possible  all  she  knew  of  them. 

Her  reply  reached  me  the  next  day,  just  before  I 
was  starting  to  pay  my  visit  to  the  Baroness,  and  was 
pretty  much  what  I  had  anticipated.  The  Captain  von 
Weimar  whom  she  knew  did  not  answer  at  all  to  the 
description  I  had  sent  out.  This  man  was  thus  evi- 
dently masquerading  in  another's  name.  The  Baron- 
ess was  an  adventuress  with  a  very  unsavoury  charac- 
ter, with  certainly  no  right  to  mention  Alice  as  one  of 
her  friends. 

Armed  with  this  telegram,  which  I  read  over  several 
times  in  the  brougham,  I  anticipated  an  interesting  in- 
terview, and  was  much  amused  by  the  reception  which 
both  accorded  to  me.  It  was  excessively  cordial,  and 
intended  to  make  me  feel  that  the  two  regarded  my 
visit  as  an  especially  friendly  and  welcome  act.  And 
yet  it  was  not  difficult  to  perceive  that  they  were  both 
ill  at  ease,  although  the  Baroness  acted  better  than 
her  companion.  I  chose  him,  therefore,  for  my  open- 
ing attack. 

I  asked  him  generally  as  to  the  object  of  his  visit 
to  London,  and  when  he  had  made  a  roundabout, 
clumsily-worded  answer  I  said,  quietly : 


A  FURTHER  DEVELOPMENT  6r 

"  By  the  way,  you  told  me  you  knew  the  Saxe-Lippe 
politics  very  well,  and  that  you  could  probably  assist 
me  in  certain  matters.  I  think  you  can.  Will  you 
tell  me,  in  the  first  place,  why  you,  a  member  of  the 
Kronheim  family,  are  travelling  under  an  assumed  name 
and  have  used  another  man's  letter  of  introduction  to 
make  my  acquaintance  ?  " 

His  astonishment  was  complete.  He  jumped  to  his 
feet,  turned  fiery  red,  his  eyes  blazed  with  anger,  and 
he  seemed  on  the  point  of  making  a  very  hot  reply, 
when  with  an  effort  he  recovered  himself,  threw  him- 
self back  in  his  chair,  and,  assuming  an  air  of  offence, 
answered  : 

"  I  really  don't  understand  you,  Sir  Stanley." 

"  The  object  of  my  visit  is  that  you  shall  do  so,  I 
assure  you,  and  also  that  I  shall  understand  you.  The 
interview  promises  to  be  very  interesting,"  and  I 
looked  at  him  steadily  as  I  waited  for  his  reply. 

It  was,  in  truth,  a  very  pretty  situation,  and  I  en- 
joyed it, 


CHAPTER  VII 

PLANNING    A  STATE  MARRIAGE 

THE  discomfiture  of  "Captain  von  Weimar"  was 
complete,  and  he  sat  frowning  heavily  and  biting  his 
nails  in  confusion,  at  an  utter  loss  what  line  to  take  in 
answer  to  my  questions. 

The  embarrassing  silence  was  broken  by  an  incident. 
I  heard  a  girl's  voice  singing  the  refrain  of  an  old  Ger- 
man folk  song,  and  the  door  opened  and  the  song 
ceased  suddenly  as  the  singer  entered  and  caught  sight 
of  me.  I  looked  at  her  in  surprise.  She  bore  a  strong 
resemblance  to  Celia,  was  of  about  the  same  age,  and 
had  similar  colouring  of  eyes,  complexion  and  hair. 

"  My  daughter,  Katrine,  Sir  Stanley,"  said  the 
Baroness,  apparently  welcoming  the  interruption.  The 
girl  regarded  me  with  interest  quite  equal  to  my  own, 
and  as  she  gave  me  her  hand  looked  straight  into  my 
eyes,  as  I  thought,  anxiously  and  nervously.  But  I 
am  not  quick  at.  reading  expressions. 

She  murmured  some  commonplace,  and  sat  down  by 
her  mother. 

"  Katrine  is  very  charmed  with  London,"  said  her 
mother.  "  It  is  all  so  strange  and  fresh  to  her,"  and, 
taking  this  cue,  I  talked  to  them  both  for  some  min- 
utes about  what  they  had  seen  and  where  they  were  go- 
ing. All  this  time  the  Captain  did  not  speak  and  had 
taken  no  notice  of  the  girl's  entrance,  but  after  some 

minutes  I  saw  him  exchange  a  signal  with  the  Baroness 
62 


PLANNING  A  STATE  MARRIAGE        63 

to  send  her  daughter  away.  I  gathered  two  things 
from  this ;  that  he  was  commander-in-chief  in  that 
household,  and  that  he  had  at  length  made  up  his  mind 
as  to  what  course  to  take  with  me. 

Katrine's  likeness  to  Celia  was  limited  strictly  to  out- 
ward appearance.  Despite  her  mother's  assurance 
that  she  was  charmed  with  London,  I  could  get  noth- 
ing from  her  that  showed  more  than  a  precociously 
cynical  indifference  to  everything.  She  was  dull, 
heavy,  and  preoccupied  in  manner,  and  the  impression 
the  short  interview  left  on  my  mind  was  that  there  was 
some  overpowering  influence  in  her  life,  grief  or  fear, 
or  love  trouble  perhaps,  which  blunted  her  sensibilities 
and  deadened  her  interest  in  everything  that  went  on 
about  her.  She  appeared  to  be  greatly  in  fear  of  her 
mother,  and  scarcely  less  so  of  the  Captain,  at  whom  I 
saw  her  now  and  again  shoot  quick,  furtive  glances. 

No  word  was  spoken,  or  sign  given  that  I  detected 
to  send  her  away,  but  she  appeared  to  understand  in- 
tuitively that  she  was  to  go,  and  voluntarily  invented  a 
pretext  and  left  us. 

"  Poor  Katrine  has  always  felt  her  father's  death  so 
keenly,"  said  the  Baroness,  as  if  she  felt  some  explan- 
ation of  her  manner  were  necessary. 

"  Never  mind  Katrine,  now,"  interrupted  the  Cap- 
tain, brusquely.  "  We  have  serious  matters  to  discuss." 
It  was  not  only  bad  manners,  but  bad  tactics  for  him 
to  show  his  predominance  in  this  way,  and  the  Bar- 
oness looked  at  him  with  surprise  and  concern,  and  I 
thought  she  was  going  to  protest,  but  she  did  not. 

"  I  owe  you  an  apology,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  said  to  me, 
"and  I  tender  it  to  you.  I  am  not  Captain  von  Wei- 
mar, and  I  did  use  a  letter  of  introduction  given  by 


64  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

your  brother-in-law  to  the  Captain.  I  am  travelling 
incognito,  and  I  am,  as  you  have  said,  a  member  of  the 
Kronheim  family.  I  am  the  Graf  Karl  von  Kronheim. 
I  made  a  mistake,  and  should  have  come  to  you 
openly  and  in  my  own  name.  There  was  no  need  for 
any  such  secrecy.  My  mission  to  London  is  a  per- 
fectly open  and  honourable  one.  I  wish  to  find  a 
daughter  of  the  Grand  Duke  Constans  of  Saxe-Lippe, 
who  was  committed  to  your  uncle's  care  by  the  Duch- 
ess many  years  ago.  I  should  have  told  you  the  ob- 
ject of  my  visit. had  I  dined  with  you  to-night." 

"  On  whose  behalf  are  you  searching  for  her  ?  " 

"  On  my  own.     I  wish  to  marry  her." 

"To  marry  her?"  I  repeated,  surprised  in  my  turn 
at  his  pithy  frankness. 

"  To  marry  her,"  he  insisted.  "  I  presume  you  can 
have  no  objection  to  that?"  he  added,  superciliously. 
A  glance  at  the  Baroness  told  me  that  she  was  as  much 
surprised  as  I  was  by  this  new  turn  of  the  wheel. 

"  I  don't  know  that  any  right  of  decision  rests  with 
me,"  I  answered. 

"  Neither  do  I,"  he  retorted  with  a  laugh.  "  Except 
perhaps  that,  as  you  have  the  present  charge  of  the 
lady  herself,  you  may  think  that  gives  you  a  right.  I 
saw  her  at  your  house  under  somewhat  singular,  not 
to  say  compromising,  circumstances,  you  will  remem- 
ber." 

"  I  remember  nothing  of  the  kind,"  said  I,  warmly. 

"  She  was  at  your  house." 

"  She  called  at  my  house  on  her  way  to  my  sister's." 

"Well,  where  is  she  now?  " 

u  That  I  decline  to  tell  you." 

"  It  is  a  little  strange,  surely,  that  you  should  spirit 


PLANNING  A  STATE  MARRIAGE        65 

her  away  in  this  fashion.  A  little  ambiguous,  don't 
you  think,  considering  who  and  what  she  is?" 

"  Considering  who  she  is,  it  is  more  than  a  little  am- 
biguous that  no  one  from  Crudenstadt  has  ever  in- 
quired for  her." 

"  You  know  the  circumstances  under  which  she  was 
entrusted  to  your  uncle's  care,  I  presume  ?  " 

"  Probably  more  fully  and  certainly  than  you  can 
possibly  know  them,"  I  answered,  feeling  that  I  must 
make  an  effort  if  this  man  was  not  to  make  me  lose 
my  temper. 

"  Then  I  should  think  the  reason  is  patent  to  you." 

"  On  the  contrary,  the  reason  is  all  the  more  unin- 
telligible." 

"  Your  late  uncle's  reputation  in  Crudenstadt " 

"  Is  my  affair,  sir,  if  you  please,"  I  broke  in,  angrily. 
He  shrugged  his  shoulders  to  point  the  sneer  on  his 
face. 

"  We  will  leave  that  alone  then.  Despite  every- 
thing, I  am  willing  to  make  her  my  wife  for  the  sake 
of  Saxe-Lippe." 

"  I'm  sure  Saxe-Lippe  ought  to  be  profoundly 
touched  by  such  a  sacrifice,"  I  could  not  resist  saying. 
"  But  if  the  lady  herself  should  not  share  your  sacrifi- 
cial impulses  ?  " 

"  That  is  not  a  matter  which  I  consider  can  concern 
you,"  he  answered,  haughtily.  "  This  is  an  affair  of 
State  importance.  I  wish  to  be  frank  with  you,  despite 
your  personal  heat.  You  should  know  therefore,  that 
there  are  reasons  which  make  it  exceedingly  impolitic, 
impossible,  in  fact,  for  my  brother,  the  Graf  Wilhelm — I 
am  the  younger  brother,  you  know — to  take  the  suc- 
cession to  the  Saxe-Lippe  Duchy,  and  consequently  it 
5 


66  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

will  devolve  upon  me.  To  prevent  the  serious  strife 
and  civil  feud  which  would  inevitably  follow  any  strug- 
gle for  the  throne,  my  marriage  with  the  present  Duke's 
daughter  has  therefore  become  imperative.  The  ar- 
rangement has  the  approval  of  all  concerned — all  in 
Crudenstadt  that  is  to  say — and  I  have  come  over  to 
carry  it  out.  I  wish,  therefore,  to  see  Celia  as  soon  as 
practicable  and  have  everything  settled.  Where  the 
issues  are  so  great,  of  course,  nothing  can  be  allowed 
to  stand  in  the  way." 

Every  feeling  and  instinct  in  my  nature  rose  in  revolt 
against  this  man's  arrogant,  boastful  manner,  and  the 
thought  of  Celia  being  united  to  such  a  selfish,  sen- 
sual brute  as  I  believed  him  to  be,  was  a  suggested 
desecration  of  her  purity  that  maddened  me.  But  I 
was  not  so  mad  as  not  to  recognise  the  plausibility  of 
the  claim  and  the  imperative  need  for  me  to  walk  warily. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  say?"  he  asked,  putting  the 
question  as  though  my  answer  were  a  matter  of  supreme 
indifference. 

"  I  don't  know  enough  of  the  ways  of  Court  mar- 
riages to  answer." 

"  I  dare  say  it  surprises  you,  and,  as  it  may  tend  to 
explain  my  action  in  coming  to  you  incognito,  I  will 
make  a  little  confession.  My  object  was  to  see  Celia 
first  in  a  private  character,  to  try  to  make  a  favourable 
impression  upon  her,  so  that  the  thing  might  not  be  so 
sudden  and  perhaps  embarrassing.  I  understand  that 
she  has  been  living  a  life  of  absolutely  private  seclusion 
— under  the  circumstances  very  wise  and  prudent,  no 
doubt — and  I  thought  that  with  your  uncle's  aid  the 
whole  matter  could  have  been  arranged.  His  death 
and   your  discovery  of  my  incognito  have,   however, 


PLANNING  A  STATE  MARRIAGE        6/ 

changed  the  state  of  matters,  and  I  must  deal  with  cir- 
cumstances as  I  find  them.  If  practicable,  I  should 
still  prefer  to  see  her  first  in  a  private  capacity.  You 
can  decide  that — but  of  course  in  any  event  the  result 
must  be  the  same.  The  marriage  is  imperative  in  the 
public  interest,  and  must  take  place." 

His  insolently  confident  appropriation  of  Celia,  to 
the  utter  disregard  of  her  own  feelings  or  wishes,  was 
insufferable  and  exasperating. 

"  I  do  not,  of  course,  see  the  same  necessity  for  the 
marriage  which  you  do.  Nor  do  I  forget  that  it  was 
the  unhappy  State  marriage  into  which  her  mother 
was  coerced  that  led  to  so  much  of  the  after 
trouble," 

"  These  things  do  not  come  within  the  sphere  of  con- 
sideration in  regard  to  Court,  marriages,  Sir  Stanley," 
he  said,  with  an  air  of  great  superiority.  "  And  your 
suggestion  is  not  very  flattering  to  myself." 

"  I  did  not  come  here  to  flatter  you,  or  the  reverse. 
I  came  to  ask  for  an  explanation  of  certain  matters." 

u  Which  I  have  explained,  I  think,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  be  assured  that  I  am  to  have  your  friendly  co- 
operation in  the  matter.  You  have  some  responsibility, 
since  you  have  the  charge  at  present  of  Celia.  But  you 
will  be  relieved  of  that  immediately." 

"  As  I  have  said,  I  have  yet  to  be  convinced  of  the 
necessity,  and  even  of  the  desirability,  of  the  marriage," 
I  answered,  coldly. 

"  Perhaps  Sir  Stanley  knows  of  some  previous  at- 
tachment, and  fears  accordingly,"  said  the  Baroness 
Borgen,  speaking  for  the  first  time. 

The  German  laughed  and  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
and  when  I  made  no  response  turned  to  me  airily : 


68  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  I  hope  there's  nothing  of  the  kind,  though  it  is 
really  of  the  smallest  consequence.     What  think  you?" 

"As  it  is  of  no  consequence,  need  we  discuss  it?" 

The  Baroness  laughed  very  softly  and  sweetly,  yet 
with  much  significance. 

"  I  gathered  yesterday  from  your  sister  that  there 
was  some — some,  what  shall  I  term  it,  not  exactly  at- 
tachment or  entanglement,  but  preference." 

"  Indeed !  "  I  answered,  as  indifferently  and  coldly 
as  I  could,  considering  that  I  knew  what  she  meant 
quite  well,  and  that  inwardly  I  was  burning  with  rage. 

"  Your  sister  seemed  to  think  that  you  yourself  were 
greatly  impressed,"  she  replied,  with  an  especially 
sweet  and  insinuating  smile. 

"  Which  sister  do  you  mean,  Baroness  ?  Alice,  who 
has  communicated  with  me  as  to  your  friendship  with 
her  in  Crudenstadt,  or  Flora,  whom  you  visited  under 
the  cover  of  Alice's  introduction?" 

"  The  dear  girl  whom  I  saw  yesterday,  of  course," 
she  said,  not  in  the  least  disturbed  by  what  my  words 
implied.  "  She  is  a  sweet  girl,  so  charming  and  natural. 
I  am  sure  you  will  be  delighted  with  her,  Herr  Graf," 
she  added,  turning  to  the  Count.  "  Quite  a  typical 
innocent  English  beauty.  I  should  so  like  her  for  a 
friend  for  Katrine,  Sir  Stanley." 

"  Well,  the  question  is,"  he  said,  brusquely,  "  whether 
you  propose  to  help  me  in  the  matter,  or  whether  I 
must  rely  upon  my  own  resources  and  report  that  you 
are  keeping  the  young  duchess  in  hiding." 

"  To  whom  do  I  understand  you  will  have  to  re- 
port ?  " 

"  To  her  family,  of  course.  By  the  way,  does  she 
know  of  her  high  position  ?  " 


PLANNING  A  STATE  MARRIAGE         69 

"Certainly." 

"  Well,  then,  what  do  you  say  ?  Despite  his  as- 
sumption of  a  tone  and  manner  of  indifference,  it  was 
plain  that  he  was  anxious. 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  stand  in  her  path,  of  course,"  I 
began,  and  his  face  lighted.  "  And  I  shall  be  happy 
to  do  everything  in  my  power  to  further  her  interests." 

"  When  and  how  shall  we  arrange  the  interview  then  ? 
I  should  prefer  it  to  be  in  a  private  character,  as  I 
said." 

"  As  soon  as  I  am  assured  that  you  are  acting  with 
the  assent  of  the  Duke  and  her  family,  I  shall  be  at 
your  service." 

"  Do  you  doubt  my  word,  sir?  "  he  asked,  angrily. 

"  If  I  ask  for  confirmation  of  it,  it  is  only  because  of 
your  own  method  of  coming  to  me — in  an  assumed 
name." 

He  tried  unsuccessfully  to  hide  his  annoyance  at  my 
words. 

"  We  ought  to  be  grateful  to  Sir  Stanley  for  his 
evident  intention  to  guard  his  treasure  so  carefully," 
said  the  Baroness,  in  the  same  dulcet  tone. 

"Where  is  she  now,  sir?  " 

"  At  the  present  moment,  I  am  quite  unable  to  tell 
you,"  I  answered,  and  this  was  absolutely  true,  for  I 
had  not  heard  from  Schwartz  where  they  were  going 
that  day. 

"  It  is  surely  strange  that  a  young  unmarried  girl  of 
such  high  birth  should  be  wandering  about  the  country 
at  the  bidding  of  a  young  unmarried  man  who  is  not 
related  to  her.  Do  your  English  ideas  of  propriety 
countenance  such  an  equivocal  and  compromising  state 
of  things?" 


■jo  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  She  is  in  perfectly  safe  keeping,"  I  answered,  keep- 
ing my  temper.  "  The  circumstances  of  the  case  alto- 
gether are  unusual." 

"  Very,"  put  in  the  Baroness,  drily  ;  but  I  took  no 
notice. 

"  You  may  rely  upon  me  to  take  very  prompt 
measures,"  I  said,  as  I  rose  to  leave.  "  And  I  will 
communicate  with  you." 

"  Do  you  refuse  even  to  permit  me  to  see  the  Duchess 
Celia?  I  can  scarcely  believe  it  possible,"  exclaimed 
the  Count,  very  warmly.  "  It  is  monstrous.  You  will 
have  to  answer  for  this." 

"  As  you  please,"  said  I ;  and  with  that  I  left. 

I  carried  away  a  very  unpleasant  impression  of  the 
interview.  I  was  convinced  that  some  kind  of  villainy 
was  intended,  but  I  could  not  see  what.  The  attempt 
which  the  pair  had  made  to  win  their  way  with  us  by 
false  pretences  had  been  explained  plausibly  by  the 
Count ;  but  I  was  convinced  that  it  was  more  plausible 
than  true,  and  I  had  not  the  least  doubt  that  they 
were  plotting  some  underhand  work  that  boded  ill  for 
Celia.     But  what  could  it  be  ? 

If  what  he  had  said  were  true — that  he  was  acting 
at  the  instigation  of  the  reigning  Duke  and  that  the 
marriage  had  indeed  been  planned  by  their  sanction,  it 
was  not  hard  to  see  that  Celia  would  have  great  diffi- 
culty in  opposing  them.  But  was  it  true?  If  her 
family  were  so  anxious  for  this  match,  why  had  not 
the  Duke  himself  sent  someone  to  me  ?  All  this  pre- 
tence of  a  desire  to  make  love  to  Celia  in  a  private 
capacity  sounded  like  so  much  high-falutin'  romance 
which  was  altogether  unlikely  to  have  any  place  in  the 
cold  and  formal  routine  of  State  marriage  plans.     It 


PLANNING  A  STATE  MARRIAGE        71 

was  far  more  probable  that  he  wished  to  get  some  kind 
of  hold  over  her  for  his  own  personal  ends,  and  had 
brought  this  dashing  adventuress  to  London  to  help 
him  in  his  object. 

I  had  pricked  that  balloon  at  any  rate  ;  and  I  drove 
to  my  aunt's  at  once  and  told  her  and  my  sister  not  to 
see  the  Baroness  again,  and  I  hurried  forward  the 
arrangements  for  them  to  join  me  at  Cromwell-road, 
fixing  the  following  day  for  their  arrival. 

But  I  must  find  some  means  of  testing  the  truth  of 
the  Count's  story,  and  must  in  someway  get  into  com- 
munication with  the  Saxe-Lippe  Court.  There  was 
but  one  way  of  doing  this  well,  to  go  personally  to 
Crudenstadt  and  ascertain  at  first  hand  what  was  in- 
tended. But  I  shrank  from  leaving  England  when 
these  two  birds  of  prey  had  just  arrived  and  were 
scheming  to  find  Celia.  There  might  be  danger  to  her 
in  my  absence. 

I  was  in  doubt,  too,  whether  to  let  Celia  herself 
know  wrhat  had  passed  in  regard  to  this  Count  von 
Kronheim.  There  were  indeed  a  hundred  questions 
involved,  all  uniting  to  make  the  position  difficult  and 
perplexing,  and  I  was  thinking  them  over  and  striving 
to  see  my  way,  when  a  telegram  was  brought  to  me 
worded  very  curiously. 

"  Remain  at  home  this  evening,  a  friend  will  call. 
Urgent." 

I  was  disposed  to  smile  at  the  message  on  account 
of  its  air  of  melodramatic  mystery,  and  a  few  days  be- 
fore I  should  have  tossed  it  into  the  waste-paper  basket 
without  another  thought.  But  now  it  seemed  in  some 
way  to  fit  in  with  the  atmosphere  of  secrecy  that  was 


72  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

gradually  surrounding  me,  and  I  resolved  to  wait  in  on 
the  chance  that  it  might  have  some  connection  with  all 
this  mystery. 

It  was  well,  indeed,  that  I  did  so,  for  the  visit  was 
to  mean  much  to  us  all  in  the  end ;  and  it  provided  a 
genuine  surprise  for  me. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

KATRINE 

I  WAS  just  finishing  my  dinner  when  my  servant 
Wilson,  brought  me  word  that  a  lady  had  asked  to  see 
me. 

"  Her  name?" 

"  She  gave  no  name,  Sir  Stanley,  but  said  you  would 
be  expecting  her." 

I  went  to  the  drawing-room  in  much  curiosity,  and 
scanned  the  darkly-dressed  and  closely-veiled  woman, 
who  was  walking  restlessly  up  and  down  the  room  await- 
ing me  with  much  impatience. 

"  You  wish  to  see  me  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  You  will  think  me  a  strange  girl,  Sir  Stanley,  but 
I  felt  I  must  come  to  you  at  once  at  any  risk — and  I 
know  there  is  risk." 

It  was  the  Baroness  Borgen's  daughter,  Katrine,  and 
I  could  not  repress  a  start  of  astonishment.  What 
on  earth  could  she  want  ? 

"  It  was  from  you  I  had  the  telegram  ?  I  have 
waited  in  to  see  you.  Pray  tell  me  if  I  can  be  of  any 
service  ?  " 

"  You  will  keep  my  visit  secret  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  desire  it." 

"  If  it  can  be  kept  secret,  that  is,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  No  one  can  know  you  here." 

"  I  don't  mean  that.  But  your  house  is  being  closely 
watched.     Of  course  you  know  this,   or  guess  it.     I 

73 


74  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

know  not  what  may  be  the  consequences  of  this  to  me. 
But  I  felt  I  must  come." 

She  spoke  with  manifest  excitement,  and  with  distress 
in  both  tone  and  manner. 

Apparently  her  object  was  friendly  to  me  and  hostile 
to  her  mother  ;  and  I  waited  for  her  to  speak  voluntarily. 
Yet  I  was  not  off  my  guard.  I  was  dealing  with  curious 
people,  and  had  to  look  warily  for  any  kind  of  trap 
that  they  might  lay. 

"  You  are  being  deceived,  Sir  Stanley  ;  grossly  de- 
ceived. And  more  than  that,  you  yourself  are  likely 
soon  to  be  in  danger.  I  have  come  to  warn  you  to  be 
on  your  guard.  But  if  they  knew  I  was  telling  you, 
I  believe  they  would  kill  me." 

"  I  can  only  guess  vaguely  at  your  meaning,"  I  an- 
swered, when  she  paused  abruptly,  as  if  at  a  loss  how 
to  say  what  she  had  come  to  tell  me.  "  But,  of  course, 
you  will  see  that  I  cannot  question  you  in  such  a  case." 

"  If  we  study  only  the  conventionalities  all  may  be 
lost,"  she  cried,  impatiently.  "  Others  will  not.  I 
know  what  has  been  told  you  this  afternoon  about  the 
projected'  marriage."  The  emphasis  on  the  last  word 
gave  me  a  hint  of  my  visitor's  motive,  and  I  began  to 
feel  my  interest  quickening.  "  Did  you  believe  what 
they  said  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  can  scarcely  say  I  have  yet  the  means  of  judging 
it."  She  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  uttered  an  ex- 
pressive exclamation  of  dissatisfaction  at  my  evasive 
reply. 

"  Do  you  think  I  have  come  here  as  their  tool  ?  "  she 
cried,  almost  fiercely. 

"  I  should  not  be  so  blind  or  so  unjust,"  said  I,  still 
on  my  guard. 


KATRINE  75 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  you  mean.  You  do  distrust  me. 
I  can  see  it,  and  you  are  blind.  Well,  then,  we  have 
one  object  in  common  and  I  have  come  to  offer  you 
my  help.     Will  you  have  it?" 

"  The  projected  marriage  is  that  which  Count  von 
Kronheim  is  contemplating  ?  "  I  asked,  slowly. 

"  It  shall  never  take  place,  never,  I  swear  it !  "  she 
cried,  with  such  a  burst  of  vehemence  that  I  needed  no 
farther  evidence  of  either  her  sincerity  or  motive.  "  He 
has  lied  to  you.  He  came  over  purposely  in  the  name 
of  Captain  von  Weimar  intending  to  find  this  girl,  this 
young  Duchess,  as  he  calls  her,  and  get  her  into  his 
power.  He  was  mad  when  you  discovered  his  disguise, 
and  then  patched  up  that  further  lie  about  his  having 
the  consent  of  her  family.  It  is  a  lie  from  beginning 
to  end.  He  has  n:>  such  consent  at  all.  He  is  making 
a  bold  bid  for  the  throne  himself,  and  he  thinks  that 
if  he  can  carry  out  his  purpose  here  and  get  this  girl 
into  his  power  he  can  force  her  to  marry  him  or  ruin 
her,  and  he  is  reckless  enough  to  do  that.  With  her 
as  his  wife  he  reckons  he  can  oust  his  brother  from  the 
succession.  He  tried  to  cheat  you  with  the  tale  to-day. 
But,  mark  me  !  If  you  ever  allow  him  to  set  eyes  on 
her,  or  to  know  where  she  is,  he  will  get  her  in  his 
clutches  by  fair  means  or  foul,  and  then,  God  have 
mercy  on  her,  for  he  will  not.  O  Sir  Stanley,  I  am  the 
most  miserable  girl  on  earth,"  and  with  this  climax  to 
her  violent  tirade  she  threw  herself  on  a  couch  and  hid 
her  face  in  her  hands,  in  complete  abandonment  to 
her  paroxysm  of  distress. 

Jealousy,  I  had  thought  at  first.  But  this  looked 
like  something  far  worse.  I  waited  some  minute  o; 
two  in  embarrassing  silence,  and  then  made  a  shot. 


j6  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  He  has  promised  to  marry  you  ?  "  I  said. 

"You  know  that?  How  did  you  know  it?  Tell 
me  quick.  Oh,  I  see ;  it  is  only  a  guess."  She  had 
looked  up  eagerly  and  swiftly  at  my  words,  but,  read- 
ing my  expression,  hers  changed  from  eagerness  to 
bitterness.  "  Of  course  he  has.  Should  I  be  here  if 
it  were  not  so  ?  " 

The  infinite  pathos  of  her  tone  chilled  me  with  its 
piteous  eloquence  of  pain,  of  unavailing  remorse  and 
bitter  self-condemnation. 

"  You  will  be  on  my  side,  Sir  Stanley  ?  You  will 
not  help  this  wicked  scheme  ?  You  will  not  see  me 
betrayed  like  this?  I  know  you  won't.  I  am  sure 
you  are  honest  and  good." 

"  If  I  can  thwart  it,  believe  me,  there  is  nothing  I 
will  not  do,"  I  cried,  as  earnestly  as  she  herself  had 
spoken. 

"  I  was  sure  of  it.  I  knew  it  to-day  when  I  saw  you 
for  the  few  minutes.  If  I  had  only  someone  like  you 
to  call  him  to  account  and  make  him  keep  his  solemnly- 
pledged  word  !  " 

"Your  mother "  I  began,  when  she  cut  me  short 

with  a  sob  that  was  like  a  cry  of  pain  from  her  heart. 

"  Don't,  don't !  For  heaven's  sake,  don't !  My 
mother  is  in  his  power.  She  dare  not  oppose  him  if 
she  would,  and,  to  my  shame  I  say  it,  she  would  not." 
Seeing  the  expression  which  her  words  called  to  my 
face,  she  closed  her  eyes  in  anguish  and  cried  again : 
"  I  tell  you  I  am  the  most  miserable  girl  on  earth,  and 
the  most  desolate,  the  most  helpless." 

"  Not  helpless,  if  I  can  help  you,"  I  said,  sincerely 
moved. 

"  You    cannot,   you  cannot,"   she  moaned.     "  It  is 


KATRINE  77 

not  revenge  I  wish,  though  my  soul  cries  for  it  at 
times.  But  I  would  not  have  him  harmed.  I — I  love 
him." 

The  hopelessness  suggested  by  her  tone  no  words 
can  express.  It  thrilled  me  with  its  suffering  and 
stirred  every  chivalrous  instinct  in  my  nature  to  help 
her.  But  I  could  express  none  of  my  feelings,  and  it 
was  she  who  broke  the  long  silence. 

"  I  have  accomplished  my  object,  and  must  go ;  or  I 
shall  be  missed.  I  have  told  you  my  piteous  story 
that  you  may  know  those  you  have  to  deal  with  and 
the  lengths  to  which  they  will  go,  and  may  understand 
the  real  dangers  that  threaten  the  girl  who  is  in  your 
charge.  I  shall  try  to  communicate  with  you  from 
time  to  time ;  but  unless  there  is  urgent  need  I  shall 
not  venture  the  risk  of  trying  to  see  you  again.  This 
one  visit  was  necessary,  despite  the  risk  of  it.  If  I 
should  ever  need  to  see  you  again,  will  you  keep  any 
appointment  ?" 

"  Certainly  I  will,"  I  said,  readily.  "  And  if  you 
are  in  any  trouble  and  think  I  can  help  you,  pray  let 
me  try." 

"  I  am  always  in  sore  sorrow,  but  no  one  can  help 
me,"  she  answered,  mournfully;  and  with  this  prose 
dirge  she  left  me. 

By  a  freak  of  coincidence  my  thoughts  flew  back  to 
Celia's  words  at  the  interview  when  I  had  first  told  her 
everything:  "There  shall  be  as  much  comedy  as  you 
like,  but  no  tragedy."  There  was  tragedy  enough  in 
this  poor  girl's  life,  brought  into  it  by  the  very  people 
who  were  threatening  Celia  ;  and  it  looked  very  much  as 
though  we  should  need  all  our  wits  to  prevent  our 
comedy  from  taking  the  same  gloomy  tone. 


78  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

I  thought  long  and  carefully  over  all  that  I  had 
heard  and  over  the  best  means  of  checkmating  the 
plans  laid  so  cunningly  and  daringly.  A  man  so  reck- 
less as  the  Count  von  Kronheim,  backed  by  the  shrewd 
counsel  of  a  callous,  heartless  and  unnatural  woman 
like  his  accomplice,  could  not  but  prove  a  very  danger- 
ous antagonist,  and  although  I  now  held  the  key  to 
his  intentions,  I  was  disposed  to  doubt  my  ability  to 
cope  with  him. 

There  were  two  things  that  I  must  do.  Keep 
Celia's  whereabouts  a  secret,  and  acquaint  myself  with 
the  real  intentions  of  the  Crudenstadt  people  as  to  her 
future.  They  were  both  difficult.  I  could  not  keep 
Celia  and  her  companion  always  moving  restlessly 
about  the  kingdom,  and  yet  the  moment  they  settled 
down  anywhere  I  saw  that  the  chances  of  their  discov- 
ery would  be  immensely  increased.  My  fears  led  me, 
no  doubt,  to  exaggerate  the  capacity  of  her  enemies  to 
find  her;  and  it  seemed  to  me  by  no  means  a  difficult 
task  for  their  agents  to  trace  her,  no  matter  what  pre- 
cautions and  care  we  took.  I  should  have  felt  she 
would  be  safe  if  I  could  be  with  her,  but  the  second 
necessity  prevented  that. 

A  visit  to  Crudenstadt  appeared  to  be  a  sheer  necessity 
if  I  was  to  get  at  the  truth.  That  visit  must  occupy  some 
days,  and  these  might  easily  stretch  themselves  into 
weeks  in  face  of  the  possible  difficulties  of  getting  the 
information  I  needed  and  to  be  absent  in  Saxe-Lippe 
for  such  a  length  of  time  when  this  impetuous  and 
dangerous  Count  was  here  in  England,  scheming  to  find 
Celia,  was  to  take  a  risk  from  which  I  shrank.  I  dared 
not  leave. 

I  thought  of  sending  Schwartz  to  Crudenstadt ;  but 


KATRINE  79 

my  old  dislike  and  distrust  of  him  stood  in  the  way.  I 
believed  him  to  be  in  earnest  in  his  wish  to  carry  out  my 
uncle's  plans,  but  I  could  not  answer  for  his  discretion 
or  even  good  faith  in  such  delicate  work  as  might  have 
to  be  done  there. 

For  the  present,  therefore,  I  contented  myself  by 
writing  to  my  sister  Alice,  and,  under  the  plea  that  I 
had  private  reasons  for  desiring  to  know  exactly  how 
the  question  of  the  succession  in  Saxe-Lippe  was  viewed, 
I  asked  her  to  let  me  know  all  that  she  could  ascertain 
as  to  the  precise  condition  of  the  young  heir's  health, 
and  as  to  those  who  were  named  to  succeed  the  present 
Duke  in  the  event  of  his  son  dying.  In  particular  had 
she  heard  anything  about  the  supposed  missing 
daughter?  And  I  asked  her  if  she  could  put  me  in 
correspondence  with  anyone  in  the  confidence  of  the 
court. 

As  I  was  in  the  act  of  ringing  for  the  servant  to  take 
the  letter  to  the  post  Katrine's  warning  that  my  house 
was  being  watched  came  into  my  thoughts,  and  I  re- 
solved to  try  and  ascertain  for  myself  whether  this  was 
the  case.  In  addition  to  the  usual  means  of  exit  by  the 
front  door  I  was  able  to  pass  out  through  the  dining- 
room  windows  into  the  square  at  the  back  and  so  into  a 
quiet  road  behind.  I  chose  that  now,  and  saw  enough 
to  convince  myself  that  that  way,  at  any  rate,  was  not 
under  observation  ;  and  when  I  had  posted  my  letter 
and  strolled  into  the  main  road  I  saw  nothing  to  rouse 
my  suspicions.  I  waited  about  for  a  considerable  time 
smoking,  but  not  a  soul  came  near  the  house  that  sug- 
gested anything  in  the  nature  of  a  spy. 

I  was  thus  smiling  at  the  uneasiness  which  the 
suggestion  of  this  spying  had  roused,  when  my  atten- 


So  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

tion  was  attracted  to  the  house  next  to  my  own.  It 
had  been  to  let  and  unoccupied,  except  by  a  caretaker, 
and  it  was  thus  with  some  surprise  that  I  now  saw  a  man 
respectably  dressed  come  out  and  shut  the  front  door 
carefully  behind  him.  He  stood  a  moment  on  the  steps 
and  then  on  the  pavement,  scanning  my  windows,  and 
after  he  had  walked  some  thirty  or  forty  yards  he  hailed 
a  hansom-cab,  jumped  in,  and  was  driven  away.  He 
was  certainly  no  caretaker.  What,  then,  could  he  be 
doing  in  an  empty  house  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  ? 
The  incident  set  me  thinking. 

I  waited  a  few  minutes,  and,  after  satisfying  myself 
that  there  was  no  light  in  any  of  the  windows,  either 
back  or  front,  I  went  to  the  door  and  rang  the  bell.  I 
heard  it  clanging  noisily,  and  when  no  one  came  in  reply 
to  it  I  rang  again.  There  was  no  response,  and  it  was 
evident  therefore,  the  man  I  had  seen  had  been  there 
alone. 

It  was  an  easy  inference  for  me  to  draw  that  he  had 
been  using  the  house  for  the  purpose  of  his  spying,  and 
this  conclusion  made  me  extremely  uneasy.  It  was  a 
probable  step  for  any  one  wishing  to  have  my  house 
under  close  surveillance  to  secure  such  an  excellent 
vantage-post  as  the  empty  house  would  afford  ;  and 
it  required  very  little  imagination  to  foresee  that  it 
would  lend  itself  to  further  measures  against  me  of  a 
much  more  aggressive  character  than  mere  spy  work. 

I  caught  my  breath  quickly,  too,  when  it  occurred  to 
me  that  in  this  fact  of  the  empty  house  I  might  not 
unreasonably  look  for  the  true  solution  of  the  mystery 
of  my  uncle's  death,  supposing  that  strange  story  of 
his  to  have  been  true.  It  was  evident  that  I  might 
have  to  be  much  more  on  my  guard  than  before,  and 


KATRINE  81 

that  the  risks  of  the  position  might  be  even  far  greater 
than  I  had  anticipated. 

I  went  back  to  my  study  and  sat  smoking  and  think- 
ing over  this  new  development  until  long  after  mid- 
night, and  as  I  went  up  to  bed  I  was  conscious  of  a 
new  feeling  of  apprehension  which  caused  me  to  be 
very  careful  in  locking  my  door  and  in  seeing  that  no 
one  was  concealed  in  my  room. 

The  next  day  I  sent  for  a  builder,  and  under  the 
pretence  that  I  was  nervous  of  burglars,  gave  him 
instructions  to  secure  all  the  windows  strongly  that 
could  possibly  be  entered  from  the  roof  or  the 
adjoining  house,  and  to  fit  to  all  the  windows  and 
doors  an  elaborate  system  of  electric  burglar  alarms,  so 
that  not  a  window  or  door  in  the  house  could  be 
opened  without  rousing  the  household  when  once  the 
alarm  was  on.  And  I  had  the  key  to  the  whole  sys- 
tem fixed  in  my  own  bedroom,  so  that  I  should  be  in 
command  of  everything. 

As  I  was  going  round  the  house  with  him  one  thing 
struck  me  forcibly — the  ease  with  which  an  entry  could 
be  effected  into  the  house  from  the  roof.  And  again 
at  this,  the  question  recurred  to  me  whether  this  way 
had  already  been  used  with  such  mysterious  and  fatal 
results  on  the  night  of  my  uncle's  death. 

I  went  then  to  the  agents,  whose  name  had  been  on 
the  bill  in  the  next  house;  and  what  I  learnt  there 
tended  to  increase  my  disquiet. 

"  We  have  had  an  unusual  experience  with  the  house, 

Sir  Stanley,"  said  the  head  of  the  firm.     "  We  let  it 

about  six  weeks  ago,  and  when  all  arrangements  had 

been    completed    and  possession    actually  given,   the 

family  were  unable  to  come  to  London,  and  it  passed 
6 


82  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

on  to  our  books  again  ;  but,  by  a  coincidence,  within 
three  days  we  had  another  application  and  let  it 
instantly." 

"  Would  you  tell  me  the  names  of  both  tenants  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  with  the  greatest  pleasure.  The  first 
was  a  Mr.  Charrington,  who  had  been  a  long  time 
abroad,  on  the  Continent ;  and  so  also,  by  a  singular 
coincidence,  has  the  present  tenant.  Mr.  Smythe  the 
name  is." 

"  His  references  satisfactory?" 

"  Certainly  ;  his  bankers,"  naming  a  well-known 
bank. 

"  When  did  Mr.  Charrington  give  it  up  and  Mr. 
Smythe  take  it  ?  " 

"Just  at  the  time  of  Sir  Henry  Meredith's  death, 
because  I  remember  I  was  speculating  whether  that 
house  would  also  be  to  let  and  mentioned  it." 

"  You  have  seen  Mr.  Smythe,  then  ?  " 

"  No,  his  secretary,  or  some  one  acting  for  him 
only." 

I  thanked  him  and  left.  It  was,  as  he  had  said,  "  a 
singular  coincidence,"  and  I  did  not  like  the  look  of  it 
at  all.  It  might  of  course,  be  no  more  than  coinci- 
dence ;  but  there  seemed  so  many  coincidences,  all 
pointing  to  one  conclusion,  that  each  of  them  began 
to  look  like  a  distinct  mesh  in  the  web  of  a  carefully 
designed  plan.  I  drove  to  the  bank  to  try  and  trace 
this  "  Mr.  Smythe,"  and  what  I  heard  there  was  the 
reverse  of  reassuring.  The  manager  told  me  that  the 
account  had  been  opened  on  the  introduction  of  a  large 
German  house,  who  had  remitted  a  sum  of  some  thou- 
sands of  pounds ;  that  they  had  every  reason  to  sup- 
pose  Mr.  Smythe  was  a  man  of  means,   but  had  not 


KATRINE  83 

seen  him  ;  and  all  the  business  had  been  transacted 
by  correspondence  ;  and  they  had  given  the  reference 
for  the  house  in  Cromwell-road  in  the  ordinary 
course  of  business. 

Coincidence  again — or  something  more  ! 

It  was  a  daring  step  to  take  the  very  house  next  mine 
and  to  use  it  as  a  base  of  operations  against  me.  But 
then  I  knew  I  had  to  deal  with  a  bold  and  even  des- 
perate man  playing  for  a  big  stake,  and  determined  to 
resort  to  any  and  every  means  to  gain  his  end. 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  GENUINE   SURPRISE 

The  next  two  or  three  days  were  filled  with  much 
anxiety  for  me.  My  thoughts  were  constantly  har- 
assed by  doubts  and  fears  of  unknown  but  impending 
troubles,  and  I  found  myself  perpetually  speculating 
as  to  what  move  my  antagonists  could  take  next. 

The  consciousness  that  my  house  and  movements 
were  under  perpetual  surveillance  was  irritating  and 
depressing  to  a  degree  difficult  to  describe,  and  it 
began  to  wear  upon  my  nerves  so  much  that  I  grew 
more  and  more  anxious  to  take  some  decisive  step  that 
would  bring  about  a  climax  ;  and  yet  knew  not  what 
to  do. 

I  heard  from  Schwartz  and  from  Celia.  They  had 
acted  on  my  suggestions  and  had  gone  from  Brighton 
to  Worthing  then  to  Bournemouth,  and  from  there  to 
Cheltenham.  Celia's  letters  were  exceedingly  charac- 
teristic. She  held  to  her  resolve  to  see  nothing  but 
comedy  in  the  situation,  and  she  wrote  me  in  a  vein  of 
laughing,  light-hearted  protest,  with  touches  of  tender 
regard  to  be  read  between  the  lines.  But  the  burden 
of  the  cry  was  always  the  same:  "How  long?" 
"  When  can  we  ring  down  the  curtain  and  begin  the 
play  of  my  life  in  earnest  ?  "  she  put  it  once ;  and  with 
the  actual  proofs  round  about  me  of  the  real  and  pos- 
sibly deadly  seriousness  of  the  position  the  tone  jarred 
even  while  it  charmed  me. 
84 


A  GENUINE  SURPRISE  85 

My  sister  importuned  me  also  about  Celia's  move- 
ments and  why  all  this  mystery  and  secrecy  were  neces- 
sary. 

"  What  has  Celia  done  that  she  should  be  packed 
away  from  us  like  this  with  that  dreadful  woman  ?  " 
she  asked  me. 

"  She  has  '  done '  nothing,  Blossom.  It  is  simply 
more  expedient  for  her  to  remain  in  the  country  at 
present." 

14  What  words  you  are  learning  to  use.  '  Expe- 
dient ';  what  does  that  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means  much  more  than  I  can  explain,  or  perhaps 
understand  myself,"  I  replied,  with  a  suspicion  of  a 
sigh  born  of  my  perplexity. 

My  sister  looked  at  me  shrewdly. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean,  Stanley  ?  You're  looking 
dreadfully  worried.  I'm  sure  you'd  be  better  if  you 
trusted  me.     I  know  Celia's  awfully  fond  of  you." 

"  It'll  come  right  some  day,  Blossom.  Don't  worry 
yourself." 

"  You  mean  don't  worry  you,  I  suppose.  But  I 
want  her  here  with  us.  Why  can't  she  live  with  us  ?  " 
She  was  disposed  to  set  down  everything  to  some 
lovers'  quarrel. 

"  There  are  things  I  can't  tell  you,  my  dear  child. 
I  would  if  I  could,  but  there's  nothing  wrong  between 
Celia  and  me.  We  quite  understand  the  position  and 
each  other,  I  assure  you." 

"  Well,  you  are  the  funniest  pair  I  ever  heard  of. 
Of  course,  it's  nothing  to  do  with  me,"  she  retorted, 
shrugging  her  shoulders  crossly  and  turning  away. 

I  should  have  liked  to  tell  her,  but  it  was  impossible 
at  that  juncture.     Indeed,  I  felt  in  sore  need  of  some- 


86  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

one  with  whom  I  could  talk  matters  over.  The  sus- 
pense was  irksome  and  trying,  and  the  fact  that  I  had 
to  bear  the  responsibility  alone  added  to  the  weight  of 
the  burden. 

I  was  not  to  be  alone  in  it  much  longer,  for  a  great 
and  genuine  surprise  was  in  store  for  me.  But  just 
before  that  happened  I  had  a  lesser  surprise  in  a  visit 
from  the  Count  von  Kronheim. 

His  card  was  brought  to  me  just  after  I  had  had  one 
of  these  interviews  with  my  sister,  and  I  went  to  him 
speculating  curiously  as  to  his  object.  He  was  not 
long  in  making  that  clear  enough. 

"  My  visit  will  probably  be  a  surprise  to  you,  Sir 
Stanley,  considering  how  our  last  interview  closed,"  he 
said. 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  surprise.     What  is  your  object  ?  " 

"  I  wish  to  come  to  some  arrangement  with  you.  I 
believe  that  you  have  my  cousin  Celia's  welfare  at 
heart  although  you  adopt  so  curious  a  method  of  con- 
sulting it." 

"What  fresh  development,  now?  "  I  asked,  curtly. 

"  I  wish  to  know  whether  you  have  told  my  cousin 
the  drift  of  the  arrangement  proposed  from  Cruden- 
stadt  as  the  solution  of  the  difficulty  in  regard  to  the 
Saxe-Lippe  succession." 

"  Certainly  I  have  not.  Your  agents  have  probably 
informed  you  that  I  have  not  been  out  of  London 
since  I  saw  you." 

I  watched  him  closely  as  I  made  this  thrust,  but  he 
gave  no  further  sign  than  a  passing  frown,  and  affected 
to  misunderstand  me. 

"  My  agents?     I  don't  know  what  you  mean." 

"Your  spies,  if  you  prefer  the  word.     I   mean  the 


A  GENUINE  SURPRISE  8/ 

persons  you  have  set  to  watch  me.  Don't  affect  to 
misunderstand  me,  for  I  assure  you  I  know  quite  well 
what  you  are  doing." 

"  Do  you  intend  to  inform  her?  " 

He  put  the  question  sharply  and  imperiously,  pass- 
ing by  my  words.     I  smiled. 

"  Yes,  perhaps  it  is  more  convenient  to  ignore  the 
existence  of  your  spies." 

"  Do  you  intend  to  inform  her,  Sir  Stanley  ?  " 

"  I  would  really  prefer  not  to  discuss  matters  with 
you  at  all.  I  shall  act  simply  as  my  own  judgment 
and  my  information  concerning  you  dictate." 

He  glanced  at  me  very  sharply. 

"  Can  we  come  to  no  understanding  on  the  matter?" 
he  asked. 

"  None,"  I  answered,  decisively.     "  None  whatever." 

"  I  am  prepared  to  do  anything  you  wish — in  reason." 

"  I  cannot  discuss  the  matter  with  you  at  all,"  was 
my  uncompromising  reply,  and  I  rose  to  end  the  inter- 
view.    But  he  did  not  move. 

"  The  urgency  is  increasing.  The  health  of  the 
young  Duke  is  growing  rapidly  worse,  and  if  my 
cousin's  claims  are  to  be  advanced  no  time  must  be 
lost." 

"  I  shall  take  my  own  line  and  choose  my  own  time 
to  take  it." 

"  You  take  the  serious  responsibility  very  lightly." 
I  made  no  answer  to  this,  and  after  a  moment  he 
added :  "  I  have  the  right  to  demand  to  see  my 
cousin." 

"You  have  already  made  the  demand." 

"  True,  but  you  have  not  complied  with  it,"  he  said, 
his  tone  and  manner  suggesting  a  rise  in  temper. 


88  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  And  at  present  do  not  intend  to,"  I  answered,  as 
curtly  as  before. 

"  Your  conduct  is  most  extraordinary,  sir." 

"  I  am  not  accountable  to  you  for  it." 

u  You  are  accountable  to  me  for  this  unwarranted 
detention  and  concealment  of  the  woman  I  am  to 
marry,"  he  began,  in  great  heat,  but  checked  himself 
and  said :  "  But  I  did  not  come  to  speak  in  any  but  a 
friendly  tone." 

"  I  have  no  desire  for  your  friendship,  and  am  in- 
different to  any  unfriendly  tone  you  may  please  to 
adopt." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insult  me  ?" 

"  You  must  place  such  construction  on  my  words 
as  you  please.  I  did  not  seek  this  interview  and  do 
not  wish  to  prolong  it." 

"  I  may  find  means  to  make  you  bring  my  cousin  back." 

"  In  such  a  case,  of-  course,  I  should  do  so  ;  but 
until  then " — I  smiled  and  waved  my  hand  to  indi- 
cate my  indifference — "  I  am  not  likely  to  pay  much 
attention  to  your  threats." 

"  If  you  were  in  my  country  you  would  not  dare  to 
insult  me  in  this  way,"  he  cried,  with  an  oath,  his  face 
now  full  of  rage. 

"  We  may  have  an  opportunity  of  discussing  that  in 
Crudenstadt  itself,"  I  answered,  quietly. 

"  I  wish  I  had  you  there,"  he  exclaimed,  furiously. 
"  I  would  teach  you  a  lesson  in  manners." 

I  crossed  the  room  and  rang  the  bell. 

"  Show  this  gentleman  to  the  door,  and  be  careful 
not  to  admit  him  again,"  I  said  to  the  servant. 

"Do  you  dare  to  turn  me  out  of  your  house?" 
cried  the  Count. 


A  GENUINE  SURPRISE  89 

"You  have  my  orders,  Wilson,"  I  said,  sharply,  to 
the  servant. 

The  Count  stared  at  me  a  moment  with  such  a  look 
of  fury  that  I  thought  he  was  going  to  attempt  to 
strike  me,  but,  mastering  this  impulse,  or  seeing  the 
futility  of  it,  he  exclaimed  :  "  You  shall  hear  from  me  !  " 
and  hurried  out  of  the  room. 

I  hoped  he  would  keep  his  word.  I  "was  no  fire- 
eater  and  certainly  no  lover  of  the  duel.  I  had  no 
wish  to  lose  my  life  and  none  to  take  his,  but  the 
abominable  character  of  the  scheme  he  had  formed  to 
sacrifice  Celia  to  his  own  sordid  ambition  had  roused 
my  resentment  to  such  a  pitch  that  I  vowed  I  would 
even  go  to  the  length  of  a  meeting  if  he  gave  me  the 
chance. 

I  had  no  doubt  that  he  had  come  with  the  object  of 
frightening  or  bribing  me  into  what  he  called  some 
arrangement,  and  as  I  recalled  his  words  and  manner 
my  rage  against  him  was  to  the  full  as  great  as  that 
he  had  shown. 

But  no  messengers  came  from  him  ;  only  a  letter  on 
the  following  day,  saying  that,  as  I  had  so  grossly 
insulted  him  he  should  hold  himself  at  liberty  to 
demand  satisfaction  at  any  time  when  we  were  so 
situated  that  I  could  not  hide  myself  behind  the 
cowardly  conventions  of  English  society,  and  when  his 
own  matters  were  not  pressing  with  such  importance. 

His  insolent  words  stung  me  like  shot  pellets  in  the 
face,  and  revived  all  the  anger  of  the  previous  day. 
Smarting  under  the  insult,  I  sat  down  to  pen  a  reply 
that  I  would  meet  him  when  and  where  he  pleased,  if 
he  sent  me  a  challenge,  and  my  rage  was  so  hot  that  I 
rejoiced  in  the  prospect  of  a  chance  to  punish  him  for 


90  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

his  treatment  of  me,  as  well  as  for  his  infamous 
scheming  against  Celia. 

It  was,  indeed,  as  much  for  her  sake  as  my  own  that 
I  looked  on  such  a  quarrel  as  this  with  its  issue  of  a 
fight  as  the  proper  and  logical  climax  of  the  position. 
There  was  nothing  ridiculous  or  even  ill-proportioned 
in  the  thought  that  I  should  fight  in  this  way  on  Celia's 
account.  I  was  more  than  willing  to  run  any  risk  for 
her  sake,  and  the  events  of  the  past  week  or  two  had 
forced  me  to  believe  that  those  risks  were  real  and  ugly 
enough  to  be  taken  very  seriously. 

I  was  young  and  hot-blooded.  I  loved  her  with  an 
intense  passion  which  even  she  may  scarcely  have  real- 
ised, and  while  my  cheek  was  burning  at  the  recollec- 
tion of  this  man's  words,  and  my  heart  was  torn  with 
the  thought  that  he  had  dared  to  attempt  to  thrust 
himself  and  his  miserable  ambitions  between  us,  I 
could  even  bring  myself  to  wish  that  in  a  fair  fight  I 
might  take  his  life. 

But  my  letter  of  fiery  acceptance  of  his  challenge 
was  not  destined  to  be  sent,  for  a  new  development  of 
the  matter  commenced  in  that  very  hour  when  I  was 
writing  it,  and  while  I  was  giving  a  free  rein  to  all 
the  bitterness  and  wildness  of  my  thoughts  against 
him. 

My  servant  brought  me  the  card  of  a  Countess  von 
Klafter.  My  house  was  becoming  a  rendezvous  for 
unknown  German  nobilities,  apparently,  and  I  went  to 
this  one  with  a  feeling  of  impatience. 

"  Are  you  Sir  Stanley  Meredith?"  she  asked  me  as 
I  entered,  and  the  tone  of  the  question  impressed  me. 
There  was  a  note  of  authority  in  it,  with  a  dash  of  sur- 
prise.    She  did  not  offer  me  her  hand,  but  instead  bent 


A  GENUINE  SURPRISE  91 

on  me  a  look  so  earnest  that  it  brought  a  frown  to  her 
forehead. 

"  Yes,  I  am  Sir  Stanley  Meredith." 

"The  son  of  Sir  Henry  Meredith?" 

She  spoke  with  a  somewhat  strong  German  accent. 

"  No ;  the  nephew  of  the  late  Sir  Henry  Meredith," 
I  answered  in  German,  and  the  conversation  was  con- 
tinued in  that  language. 

"  I  have  reasons  for  being  very  particular,"  she  said, 
and  then  paused. 

During  the  pause  I  looked  at  her  closely.  She  was 
a  woman  of  some  forty  years  of  age,  I  judged,  but  her 
features  were  lined  with  trouble  and  marked  by  such 
an  expression  of  melancholy  and  sternness  as  I  had 
rarely  seen  on  a  woman's  face.  She  had  been  very 
beautiful  in  her  youth,  and  the  colouring  reminded  me 
of  Celia's — complexion  fair,  hair  golden  but  silvering 
fast,  and  eyes  blue,  but  with  a  strange  unfeeling  cold- 
ness and  glitter  that  came  either  from  close  melancholy 
introspection  and  brooding,  or  from  temper  heightened 
by  suffering.  Her  manner  was  strangely  repellent, 
harsh,  austere  and  cold. 

"You  were  in  your  uncle's  confidence?"  she  asked, 
breaking  the  pause  somewhat  abruptly. 

"  At  the  close  of  his  life ;  and,  in  some  respects,  I 
may  say  fully  in  his  confidence." 

"  There  was  a  young  German  lady  in  whom  he  took 
much  interest.     Do  you  know  her?  " 

The  question  was  a  little  difficult  to  answer. 

"  What  is  her  name?"  I  asked,  guardedly. 

"  I  do  not  know  precisely.  But  do  you  know  whom 
I  mean  ?  " 

"  It  would  perhaps  be  better  that  you  give  me  some 


92  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

further  details  ;  something  to  make  the  description  a 
little  less  general,"  I  replied,  cautiously.  "  And  per- 
haps you  would  like  to  tell  me  first  the  nature  of  your 
interest  in  her,  and  your  reasons  for  coming  to  me." 

"  I  have  come  to  you  because  Sir  Henry  Meredith 
is  dead.  I  have  the  strongest  interest  in  her.  I  wish 
to  find  her,  and  I  have  every  right  to  do  so."  This 
was  too  suggestive  of  von  Kronheim's  tone  to  satisfy 
me. 

"  Permit  me  to  ask  the  nature  of  that  interest." 

"  I  can  satisfy  you  completely  on  that  head,"  she 
exclaimed,  sharply  and  imperiously,  as  though  im- 
patient of  my  question. 

"  I  do  not  doubt  that,"  said  I,  with  a  bow.  "  But 
my  uncle  did  not  tell  me  of  any  recent  inquiries  of  the 
kind  that  were  made  of  him.  May  I  ask  if  you  made 
any  ?  " 

The  effect  of  this  question  upon  my  visitor,  simple 
as  it  was,  surprised  me.  She  flinched  and  showed 
signs  of  agitation,  and  for  some  moments  was  obviously 
undecided  how  to  reply.  But  she  retained  her  self- 
composure.  I  did  not  understand  her,  but  she  did  not 
appear  to  me  to  be  acting  like  an  emissary  of  the 
Count  von  Kronheim. 

"  There  have  been  ample  reasons  to  prevent  my 
making  any,"  she  said  at  length.  "  But,  of  course,  you 
can't  understand  me,  unless  you  know  the  facts." 

"  I  am  quite  at  your  service  to  hear  anything  you 
may  wish  to  tell  me." 

"  Did  your  uncle  never  tell  you  anything  of  his  life 
in  Germany;  in  Saxe-Lippe,  I  mean?  " 

"  Scarcely  anything,  except  in  regard  to  one  inci- 
dent." 


A  GENUINE  SURPRISE  93 

"And  that  incident?" 

The  question  came  sharply,  and  was  accompanied 
with  a  quick,  searching  glance. 

"  You  must  excuse  me.     It  was  confidential,"  I  said. 

"  But  I  must  know  of  it "     She  paused  suddenly, 

and  shook  her  head  as  if  in  perplexity. 

"  I  never  heard  him  mention  your  name,"  I  said. 

"Never  heard  him  mention  me?"  she  exclaimed,  in 
manifest  astonishment.  "  Oh,  you  mean  as  the 
Countess  von  Klafter?  That  was  not  my  name.  But 
he  mentioned  to  you  this  girl,  a  baby  when  she  was 
placed  in  his  charge.  Her  Christian  name  might  be 
Celia.     He  must  have  done  so." 

My  only  reply  was  a  bow,  which  she  might  interpret 
as  she  pleased.  "  She  is  not  dead  ?  "  There  was  keen 
interest,  but  little  feeling,  in  the  tone. 

"  May  I  invite  you  to  speak  frankly  ?  I  am  placed 
in  a  very  embarrassing  position  by  your  reticence." 

I  meant  her  to  understand  that  I  would  say  nothing 
at  all  until  I  knew  more  of  her  and  of  her  object  in 
coming  to  me.     And  she  read  my  intention  quickly. 

"  The  child  was  placed  in  your  uncle's  care  by — by 
her  mother,  under  circumstances  of  a  very  exceptional 
kind.  And  now  the — the  mother  wishes  to  reclaim 
her  daughter.  That  is  all."  She  spoke  very  slowly 
and  very  emphatically. 

"  The  mother  has  been  a  long  time  remembering  her 
duty."  Intentionally  my  tone  was  stern.  "  Do  you 
come  from  her  ?  " 

"  Is  Celia  alive?  "  she  asked,  ignoring  my  question. 

"  Yes  ;  but  she  has  grown  up  in  complete  ignorance 
of  her  mother,  and  until  lately " 

I  checked  myself.     I  did  not  yet  know  enough  of 


94  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

my  visitor  to  speak  frankly.  She  was  listening  most 
intently  to  my  every  word,  and  when  I  stopped,  sat 
regarding  me  sternly  with  a  frown  on  her  hard,  cold 
face. 

"  Thank  Heaven  she  lives,"  she  said,  and  then  after 
a  pause  :  "  You  can  help  me  to  see  her  soon  ?  There 
is  need  for  the  most  urgent  haste.  When  can  it  be  ? 
To-day  ?     Is  she  here  ?  " 

"  No  ;  she  is  not  here,"  I  answered. 

I  spoke  coldly  and  formally,  for  my  former  suspicions 
were  roused  again  by  her  eagerness. 

II  I  must  see  her.  I  tell  you  I  must.  There  is  not 
a  moment  to  lose.  You  must  help  me.  Everything 
will  be  endangered  by  delay.  Your  uncle  would  have 
done  this  at  once." 

"  My  uncle  would  probably  have  known  you,  mad- 
ame,"  I  replied,  pointedly.     "  To  my  regret,  I  do  not." 

She  started  at  this  and  was  silent  for  a  moment, 
thinking ;  and  then,  with  an  effort  to  restrain  all  evi- 
dence of  excitement,  she  said  : 

"  I  am  the  mother  whom  you  are  so  quick  to  judge 
and  to  censure,  Sir  Stanley.  I  am  the  Duchess  Marie 
of  Saxe-Lippe.  It  was  I  who  confided  Celia  to  your 
uncle's  care." 

"  Celia's  mother !  "  I  exclaimed,  in  excited  surprise, 
seeing  instantly  how  full  of  import  for  us  all  this  most 
strange  development  must  be. 

Of  all  things,  this  visit  was  the  most  unexpected 
that  could  have  happened. 


CHAPTER  X 

celia's  mother 

Celia's  mother  alive ! 

It  was  some  moments  before  I  could  recover  from 
the  astonishment  which  my  visitor's  avowal  produced, 
and  then  my  chief  feeling  was  one  of  deep  regret  at 
my  implied  reproach  of  her  neglect  of  Celia. 

I  had  always  believed  her  dead,  and  my  uncle  had 
not  let  drop  a  word  to  cause  me  to  think  otherwise. 
So  far  as  he  was  concerned,  I  knew  that  her  history 
had  stopped  abruptly  at  the  moment  she  had  been 
placed  under  restraint.  As  I  thought  of  her  years  of 
suffering,  my  heart  softened  to  her,  and  my  suspicions 
died  out,  despite  her  cold,  repelling,  and,  as  it  seemed 
to  me,  heartless  manner.  A  woman  dead  to  tender- 
ness. 

"Your  statement  has  moved  me  deeply,  madame. 
If  I  can  be  of  service  to  you,  pray  tell  me  how,"  I  said 
at  length. 

"  I  desire  to  see  Celia.  She  must  come  back  to  me 
and  to  Crudenstadt.  You  know  what  is  happening 
there  ?  My  son  is  dying,  and  I  cannot  go  to  him.  If 
your  uncle  has  told  you  all  this  hideous  story  of  mine, 
you  will  know  that  for  many  years  I  have  been  kept 
a  close  prisoner,  under  the  pretence  that  I  was  mad. 
I  have  escaped  but  recently,  in  the  confusion  caused 
by  the  sudden  death  of  the  medical  man  in  charge  of 
me,  and  I  am  resolved  to  prosecute  my  rights.     I  have 

95 


96  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

been  treated  shamefully  and  abominably,  and  foully 
persecuted  by  my  husband  ;  but  I  will  have  my  re- 
venge. I  have  still  powerful  friends,  and  I  will  yet 
show  my  husband  and  the  world  I  am  too  dangerous 
to  be  trodden  upon  with  impunity.  I  will  rouse 
Europe." 

Excitement  flashed  from  her  eyes  and  flushed  on 
her  cheeks,  and  she  spoke  with  vehemence  and  rage. 
Whatever  else  the  long  confinement  had  done,  it  had 
not  quenched  her  spirit. 

"  May  I  venture  to  ask  your  purpose  in  regard  to 
Celia  ?  " 

"  She  shall  sit  where  it  is  her  right  to  sit  ;  on  the 
Throne  of  the  Saxe-Lippe  Duchy.  She  is  the  rightful 
heiress,  and  I,  her  mother,  will  see  that  she  is  not 
robbed  of  her  birthright.  Does  she  know  the  secret 
of  her  birth  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  told  her  within  the  past  few  days,  since 
my  uncle's  death,  and  I  have  been  in  doubt  what  course 
I  ought  to  adopt." 

"  There  is  but  one  course  possible,"  she  began,  vehe- 
mently, when  with  a  sudden  change  she  paused  and 
asked  :  "  Why  does  Celia  think  she  was  placed  in  Sir 
Henry's  charge  ?  "     Her  face  wore  a  look  of  distrust. 

"  I  have  told  her  only  that  there  was  a  dispute  which 
rendered  that  step  necessary  for  her  safety,  your  High- 
ness." 

"  Do  you  know  ?  "  she  asked,  sharply. 

"  My  uncle  left  behind  him  a  full  written  statement 
of  all  the  facts,  your  Highness." 

Her  hesitation  passed  instantly,  giving  place  again 
to  her  decisive  vehemence. 

"  She  must  know  everything.     I   must   see  her   at 


CELIA'S  MOTHER  97 

once.  It  must  come  from  my  lips,  not  from  those  of 
my  enemies.  I  must  see  her  at  once.  Can  you  bring 
her  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  wish  it.  But  you  should  know  that 
she  has  expressed  to  me  a  strong  disinclination  to  seek 
her  rights." 

"Why?"  The  question  was  very  sharply  asked, 
and  with  a  keen,  quick  glance  which  embarrassed  me. 
"  You  know  the  reason,  Sir  Stanley,  I  see.  What 
is  it?" 

"  The  concealment  has  had  one  most  disastrous  re- 
sult. I  have  reason  to  know  that,  being  in  complete 
ignorance  of  the  fact  of  her  birth,  she  has — she  had 
engaged  herself  to  a  man  who,  himself  also  ignorant  of 
the  facts,  had  asked  her  to  be  his  wife." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  she  has — do  you  mean  your- 
self?" 

"  I  have  told  you,  madame,  so  that  you  may  under- 
stand exactly  the  position.  My  uncle  did  his  utmost 
to  keep  us  apart,  although  he  said  nothing  of  the  real 
obstacles  between  us,  and  when  I  learnt  the  truth  from 
him  I  told  Celia  that  great  objections  would  certainly 
be  raised  to  our  marriage." 

I  could  not  hide  the  embarrassment  which  made  my 
words  sound  halting  and  lame. 

"  Of  course  it  is  impossible,  quite  impossible  ;  out  of 
all  reason,"  she  cried,  quickly  and  angrily.  Her  tone 
sounded  harsh  to  me  and  had  not  a  touch  of  sympathy 
for  my  poor  Celia.  This  indifference  roused  my  resent- 
ment. "  You  have  not  seen  her  since,  of  course?  You 
are  a  man  of  honour." 

I  made  no  reply,  for  the  implied  reproach  wounded  me. 

"  I  don't  understand  your  silence,  Sir  Stanley.  It 
7 


98  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

seems  full  time  that  I  should  assume  control  of  my 
daughter." 

"As  your  Highness  pleases,"  I  answered,  formally. 

*'  Where  is  Celia  ?     Can  you  send  for  her  at  once  ?  " 

"  She  is  at  Leamington.  Would  you  prefer  to  go 
to  her?" 

"  No  ;  she  had  better  come  to  me,  and  I  should  like 
to  see  her  here.  She  had  better  first  be  told  who  I 
am.  I  do  not  wish  any  scenes.  I  am  not  very  strong. 
Will  you  send  for  her  and  I  will  see  her  here  to-mor- 
row ?  She  will,  of  course,  go  with  me  at  once  to 
Crudenstadt." 

"  There  is  another  important  matter  you  should 
know,"  I  said ;  and  I  told  her  as  concisely  as  possible 
about  my  interviews  with  the  Count  von  Kronheim 
and  the  fears  I  entertained  in  regard  to  his  persecution 
of  Celia. 

To  my  surprise  and  dismay  she  seemed  to  regard 
his  proposal  in  any  but  a  hostile  light. 

"  You  seem  very  ready  to  take  for  granted  all  that 
is  said  against  him,  Sir  Stanley.  For  my  part,  I  am 
not  at  all  sure  that  he  has  not  thought  of  a  very  likely 
plan  to  carry  out  our  object.  You  must  not  let  your- 
self be  biased  by  your  own  feelings,  however  natural 
it  may  be  for  you  to  feel  an  objection.  Such  a  mar- 
riage would  have  many  advantages  ;  very  many." 

Her  obvious  intention  to  sacrifice  Celia  for  the  fur- 
therance of  her  plans  so  filled  me  with  anger  and  con- 
cern that  I  could  not  trust  myself  to  make  a  reply. 

"  Could  you  arrange  for  me  to  meet  the  Count  with- 
out his  knowing  who  I  am  ?  " 

"  I  can  give  you  his  address  in  London." 

"  I   would  rather  meet  him  here.     I   am  sure  your 


CELIA'S  MOTHER  99 

uncle,  Sir  Henry,  would  have  been  anxious  to  help  me 
in  this  matter." 

"  I  will  arrange  for  him  to  be  here  to-morrow  some 
hours  before  your  daughter  arrives.  But  I  cannot  do 
this  without  warning  you  that  in  my  opinion  you  are 
running  great  risks." 

"  I  shall  know  how  to  protect  my  daughter,  Sir 
Stanley,"  she  replied,  coldly,  and  I  said  no  more. 

As  soon  as  she  had  left  I  telegraphed  to  Celia,  asking 
her  to  come  to  London  on  the  following  day  and  sent 
also  a  longer  message  to  Schwartz,  telling  him  what 
train  to  come  by,  and  urging  him  to  use  the  utmost 
caution  on  the  journey.  I  wrote  also  to  von  Kronheim, 
saying  that  if  he  would  call  at  my  house  on  the  following 
day  there  was  some  one  wishful  to  see  him  ;  and  in  an- 
swer to  his  letter  I  told  him  that  I  was  quite  willing 
for  our  quarrel  to  be  settled  in  the  way  he  suggested, 
and  that  he  would  always  find  me  ready  to  meet  him. 

Having  done  that  I  sat  down  to  think  over  the  in- 
terview with  Celia's  mother  and  the  change  which  the 
new  development  meant.  My  feelings  were  bitter 
enough,  as  may  be  supposed.  It  was  clear  that  the 
Duchess's  leading  motive  was  a  desire  to  avenge  herself 
upon  her  husband  for  his  treatment  of  her.  Through 
the  long  years  of  her  punishment  she  had  been  nurtur- 
ing this  one  hope.  The  impending  death  of  her  son 
had  not  drawn  from  her  a  single  syllable  of  regret ;  and 
the  one  idea  in  regard  to  Celia  was  to  use  her  to  anger 
her  husband,  while  she  felt  a  slighter  satisfaction  that 
by  securing  her  daughter's  recognition  as  heiress  to  the 
Duchy  her  own  character  and  innocence  would  be  amply 
vindicated.  But  her  main  thoughts  were  fixed  on  re- 
venge. 


ioo  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

I  remembered  all  that  my  uncle  had  written.  The 
Duchess  had  been,  in  truth,  innocent,  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned,  but  more  than  guilty  with  her  real  lover, 
and  her  object  now  was  to  use  this  guilty  innocence 
to  procure  her  end.  For  that,  she  was  content  to  sac- 
rifice Celia  in  a  marriage  with  a  ruthless  scoundrel  like 
von  Kronheim. 

My  own  part,  too,  had  its  full  share  of  irony.  I 
felt  bound  in  all  honour  to  endeavour  to  clear  my  uncle's 
name  from  the  taint  of  that  old  scandal,  and  thus  was 
constrained  to  help  the  Duchess  in  making  clear  that 
part  of  the  truth.  But  to  effect  this  I  was  to  be  made 
a  kind  of  party  to  an  arrangement  by  which  Celia's 
happiness  was  to  be  destroyed  and  her  life  ruined  by 
union  with  such  a  man. 

I  can  say,  with  all  sincerity,  that  I  did  not  think  of 
myself  or  my  love  in  all  that  tangle.  I  loved  Celia 
well  enough  to  place  her  happiness  before  my  own 
wishes.  If  I  could  secure  that,  the  rest  might  go.  But 
help  to  secure  her  marriage  with  a  sensual  scoundrel 
like  von  Kronheim  I  would  not.  I  would  rather  see 
her  dead  than  his  wife.  And  the  knowledge  that  the 
Duchess  could  contemplate  it  calmly,  could  look  upon 
it  in  the  callous  impersonal  light  of  a  stroke  of  cunning 
policy,  calculated  to  help  the  fulfilment  of  her  own 
scheme  of  self-vindication  and  revenge,  was  maddening. 

What  Celia  herself  would  feel  and  say  as  to  this 
development  of  the  "comedy,"  I  could  judge  well 
enough,  and,  indeed,  I  was  to  know  sooner  than  I  had 
expected  ;  for  that  night  she  arrived,  all  happiness  and 
smiles  at  being  with  us  once  again. 

"  I  got  your  telegram  and  came  at  once,  Stanley.  I 
knew  it  must  be  something  important ;  and  although 


CELIA'S  MOTHER  101 

that  good  but  dreary  man,  Schwartz,  told  me  he  had 
instructions  for  us  to  wait  until  to-morrow  morning  I 
would  not.  I  could  not.  If  I've  done  wrong  I'm  very- 
sorry,  but  I  could  not." 

She  tried  to  simulate  penitence,  but  the  sunshine  of 
her  smiles  burst  through  it,  and  my  eyes  were  so  glad 
to  rest  upon  her  face  again  that  I  could  not  find  heart 
to  tell  her  that  she  had  not  done  well,  and  that  her 
coming  might  cause  some  embarrassment. 

Blossom,  who  was  delighted  to  see  her  and  made 
much  of  her,  carried  her  away  to  her  room  at  once,  and 
it  was  not  until  some  time  later  that  we  two  were  alone 
together. 

"  Now  tell  me,  what  is  the  new  act  in  the  comedy? 
But  first,  please,  are  you  glad  to  see  me  ?  "  and  her 
eyes  challenged  me. 

"  I  am  always  glad  to  see  you,  Celia,"  I  said,  looking 
away.     "  But " 

"  Look  at  me,  Stanley,  don't  turn  away  like  that.  I 
want  to  see  for  myself  that  you  are  really  glad."  I 
looked  at  her,  and  saw  the  love  and  pleasure  that  were 
sparkling  radiantly  in  her  eyes.  "  I  am  satisfied,"  she 
said,  quickly,  and  ostentatiously  kissed  her  ring. 

"  I  hope  you  don't  forget  the  part  I  am  cast  for  in 
what  you  call  our  comedy." 

"  Not  in  the  least.  We  are  playing  at  not  being 
engaged.  And  now  tell  me.  Have  they  sent  over  the 
crown  for  me  to  see  if  it  fits  my  head  ?  "  And  she 
laugh  mischievously.  "Of  course,  if  it's  very  becoming 
it  will  be  all  the  more  difficult  to  refuse." 

"  There  are  a  good  many  other  things  to  fit  before  the 
crown,"  said  I. 

"  I  don't  see  why  there  should  be — in  a  comedy." 


102  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  A  good  deal  has  happened  since  you  have  been 
away." 

"You  said  that  as  though  they  had  made  a  very 
serious  impression  on  you,  at  any  rate.  Do  you  wish 
me  to  be  serious  already?  " 

"  There  is  enough  to  make  us  both  serious,  Celia. 
You  ought  not  to  have  come  back  until  to-morrow  for 
one  thing." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  it's  only  a  very  small  act  of  diso- 
bedience. A  few  hours  can't  make  much  difference,  and 
when  I  knew  that  I  really  was  to  come  I  couldn't  re- 
strain myself  any  longer.  I  did  so  long  to  see — Blossom. 
Oh,  I  will  be  serious  directly,  but  I  can't  for  a  few 
minutes.  Give  me  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Remember 
how  long  it  is  ;  how  many  long,  long  days  since  I  saw 
— Blossom,"  and  she  laughed  again,  and  she  filled 
more  than  the  quarter  of  an  hour  with  her  pretty  little 
jests  and  rallying,  making  all  too  plain  how  glad  she  was 
to  be  with  me.  Then  breaking  off  suddenly  she  said  : 
"  There,  now  let  me  have  the  disagreeable  news.  What 
is  it  ?  " 

The  very  impetuosity  of  the  change  in  her  manner 
increased  the  difficulty  of  my  task,  and  I  hesitated 
how  to  tell  her  and  what  to  speak  of  first.  Then  I 
plunged  : 

"  There  is  someone  who  wishes  to  many  you,  Celia," 
I  said. 

"  Is  there  ?  "  And  her  eyes  had  the  challenge  I  had 
noticed  before. 

"  Celia,  you  are  incorrigible." 

"  I  am  all  attention,"  she  cried,  with  mock  gravity. 

"  This  is  all  really  serious.  It  is  a  Count  von  Kron- 
heim,  a  member  of  a  high  Saxe-Lippe  family,  the  family 


CELIA'S  MOTHER  103 

standing  next  in  succession  to  the  throne  indeed,  whe 
wishes  this." 

"  Having  heard  that  I  may  possibly  sit  on  the  throne 
he  desires  in  his  disinterestedness  to  share  it.  Ought  I 
to  be  honoured,  Stanley  ?  And  what  did  you  tell  him  ? 
I  should  like  to  know.  That  you  thought  such  a  match 
highly  desirable  for  political  reasons,  and  that  you 
were  sure  I  should  feel  the  same  as  yourself.  That 
would  all  be  in  the  comedy,  you  know.  And  as  true 
as  the  rest  of  it." 

"  He  has  found  a  supporter  very  unexpectedly,  and 
one  who  has  ample  right  to  a  voice." 

"  Who  is  that  ?  "  She  put  the  question  earnestly, 
detecting  a  different  tone  in  my  voice. 

"  There  is  a  great  surprise  for  you." 

"  There  has  been  little  else  lately." 

"  This  will  perhaps  be  the  greatest  of  all.  I  have 
had  news  that  your  mother  is  not  dead  after  all." 

"You  have  seen  her,"  she  cried,  quickly,  "  I  know 
you  have.  I  have  been  thinking  so  much  of  her 
during  the  last  few  days  ;  I  can't  understand  things  at 
all.  When  did  you  see  her?  To-day?  Is  that  the 
reason  of  the  telegram.  O  Stanley,  tell  me,  how  ought 
I  to  feel  towards  her  ?  Why  have  I  been  nothing  to 
her  for  all  these  years  ?  " 

"  The  story  is  a  very  sad  one,  Celia,"  and  I  told  her 
all,  except  the  part  which  concerned  the  old  tragic 
love-story  of  her  mother's  youth,  leaving  her  to  think 
that  the  whole  punishment  was  undeserved. 

"  My  poor  mother  !  "  she  said,  in  a  tone  of  infinite 
compassion.  "  We  must  try  to  make  up  for  some  of 
the  suffering  she  has  endured.  Tell  me  all  you  can 
about  her.     Poor  mother!  " 


104  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

It  was  no  easy  task  she  set  me,  but  I  tried  to  impress 
her  as  favourably  as  I  could,  dwelling  upon  the  sorrows 
which  had  clouded  the  unfortunate  woman's  life,  and 
saying  little  or  nothing  of  the  plans  and  projects  which 
she  now  entertained  beyond  the  fact  that  she  wished 
Celia  to  take  the  position  to  which  she  was  by  birth 
entitled. 

"  You  have  rather  frightened  me,  Stanley,"  she  said 
when  I  finished.  "  I  don't  know  what  to  think.  I  am 
longing  to  see  her,  and  yet  afraid.  She  may  not  care 
for  me,  after  all;  especially  if  I  cannot  enter  into  these 
plans  of  hers.  What  is  my  duty?  Tell  me.  Poor 
mother!  What  a  terrible  life.  And  now,  if  after  all 
her  sufferings  I  cannot  do  what  she  wishes !  I  don't 
know  what  to  think.     What  ought  I  to  do  ?  " 

Before  I  could  answer  my  sister  came  into  the  room, 
and  so  for  the  time  no  more  was  said  ;  but  my  knowl- 
edge of  Celia  and  what  I  had  seen  of  the  Duchess 
made  me  look  forward  to  the  meeting  between  them 
with  doubt  and  foreboding  for  both. 

In  the  morning  the  "Countess  Klafter"  was  an- 
nounced before  we  had  finished  breakfast,  and  Celia 
shot  at  me  a  glance  of  troubled  perplexity  as  I  rose 
from  the  table. 

"  Shall  I  come  with  you,  Stanley  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  will  let  you  know,"  I  said.  But  she  fol- 
lowed me  into  the  hall,  and  I  could  see  that  she  had 
come  to  a  decision. 

"  Hold  out  no  hope  to  her  that  I  can  do  what  she 
wishes,"  she  said,  firmly. 

"You  had  better  not  wear  that  ring  when  you  see 
her,  Celia,"  I  said,  for  she  was  fingering  it  nervously 
as  she  spoke. 


-    CELIA'S  MOTHER  105 

"  How  can  I  wear  it  always  if  I  take  it  off  now?" 
she  answered,  smiling.     "  I  am  quite  resolved." 

I  went  to  the  Duchess,  who  offered  an  apology  for 
her  early  call. 

"  It  is  much  better  so,"  I  said.  "  Celia  came  last 
night  and  is  here  now." 

Her  look  signalled  suspicion  of  some  under-play,  but 
she  did  not  voice  the  thought. 

"  I  will  see  her  at  once,  then,  and  perhaps  all  this 
business  can  be  arranged  this  morning.  We  can  see 
Count  von  Kronheim  together  when  he  comes." 

Celia  was  very  nervous  when  I  went  to  fetch 
her. 

"Come  with  me  into  the  room,"  she  pleaded. 

"  Certainly."  And  as  we  went  in  together  she  was 
trembling. 

"  This  is  Celia,"  I  said,  quietly,  almost  formally,  and 
the  Duchess  looked  at  her  critically  as  I  thought,  and 
certainly  without  an  outward  sign  of  emotion. 

"Mother!" 

The  cry  came  from  Celia's  heart  as  she  went  forward 
quickly  with  hands  extended,  her  face  aglow  with 
mingled  feelings  of  love,  compassion  and  nervous  yearn- 
ing. To  me  her  face  seemed  eloquent  with  the  offer 
of  her  heart,  until  the  coldness  of  her  mother's  unre- 
sponsive greeting  dashed  her  hopes.  She  paused  in 
her  advance  and  stood  still,  embarrassed,  distressed  and 
pained  by  the  reception. 

It  was  truly  a  strange  meeting,  and  the  auguries 
were  ill  enough  to  fill  me  with  dismay  when,  by  the 
stupidity  of  a  servant,  the  situation  was  infinitely  com- 
plicated. 

We  were  standing  in  this  momentary  pause  of  em- 


106  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

barrassed  silence  when  the  door  was  thrown  open  and 
the  Count  von  Kronheim  entered.  As  his  eyes  fell  on 
Celia  I  saw  him  start  with  surprise,  while  his  face 
lighted  with  a  gleam  of  triumph. 


CHAPTER  XI 

A    FAMILY    COUNCIL 

At  the  announcement  of  the  Count's  name  Celia's 
mother  started  in  surprise  and  glanced  at  me  for  an 
explanation,  while  Celia  herself,  remembering  my  words 
of  the  previous  evening,  drew  herself  up  and  returned 
his  look  of  insolent  interest  with  one  of  disdain. 

"  I  have  interrupted  a  family  council,  1  fear,"  said 
von  Kronheim,  who  seemed  to  enjoy  the  embarrass- 
ment caused  by  his  arrival.  "  But  it  is  not  my  fault. 
Shall  I  withdraw  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  had  better,"  I  answered,  and  turned 
to  the  door. 

"  Is  it  necessary  ?  We  know  the  Count  von  Kron- 
heim's  mission,"  said  the  Duchess. 

This  turn  took  me  completely  by  surprise,  and  I  saw 
Celia  start  and  look  in  swift  astonishment  at  her 
mother.  To  her,  as  to  me,  it  was  inconceivable  that 
the  Duchess  should  show  not  the  slightest  desire  to  be 
alone  with  Celia  at  such  a  moment.  I  was  at  a  loss 
even  how  she  wished  to  be  known  to  von  Kronheim. 

"  The  Countess  Klafter,  of "  I  began,  when  she 

interrupted  me. 

"  There  can  be  no  need  to  maintain   my  incognito y 

Sir  Stanley."     At  this  von  Kronheim   looked  at  her 

shrewdly  and  started  as  if    recognising  her.     "  I  am 

Celia's  mother,"  she  added. 

107 


io8  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Your  highness  will  pardon  me  for  not  having 
recognised  you  at  once,"  said  the  Count,  bowing  very 
low.  "Yet  I  might  have  known  that  the  place  to  seek 
you  would  be  in  your  lovely  daughter's  presence. 
Permit  me,"  and  he  crossed  the  room  and  lifted  to  his 
lips  the  hand  which  she  held  out.  "  I  have  not  yet  had 
the  honour  of  being  presented  to  my  cousin,"  and  he 
bowed  to  Celia,  who  returned  his  bow  with  just  the 
slightest  inclination  of  her  head. 

"  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  has  told  me  of  the  proposals 
you  have  made,  Count,  and  it  was  to  discuss  them  that 
I  wished  to  see  you  here  this  morning." 

"  I  am  more  than  honoured,  your  Highness.  Had  I 
known  you  were  in  England  of  course  my  first  ap- 
proach would  have  been  made  to  you.  Sir  Stanley 
did  not  tell  me." 

"  Sir  Stanley  did  not  know  until  yesterday.  You 
say  the  match  finds  favour  in  Crudenstadt  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  earnest  desire  of  all  who  are  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  Saxe-Lippe,  and  animated  by  a  desire 
to  see  reparation  made  to  you  for  what  you  have  suf- 
fered at  the  hands  of  the  Duke."  This  was  of  course 
a  falsehood  coined  at  the  moment ;  but  it  had  its  care- 
fully calculated  effect.  "  Unless  it  be  arranged  the  pros- 
pects of  unsettlement  and  strife  over  the  vexed  ques- 
tion of  the  succession  are  infinite.  It  will  be  hailed 
with  delight  by  the  whole  Duchy,  and  many  men  of 
note  and  consequence  in  the  country  see  in  it  the  one 
completely  satisfactory  solution  of  the  problem.  In 
consequence  of  the  somewhat  unexpected  opposition 
of  Sir  Stanley,  whose  position  as  his  uncle's  successor 
and  thus  my  cousin's  guardian — of  course,  in  your 
Highness's  absence — I  have  come  with  ample  proofs 


A  FAMILY  COUNCIL  109 

of  this  general  wish,"  and  he  took  from  his  pocket  a 
bundle  of  letters  which  he  handed  to  the  Duchess. 

I  did  not  believe  a  word  of  it,  and  I  could  see  that 
Celia  shared  my  opinion.  She  had  been  watching  him 
closely  while  he  spoke,  and  every  feature  spoke  of  her 
distrust  and  dislike  of  him.  As  the  Duchess  was  ex- 
amining the  letters  Celia  turned  to  her  and  my  heart 
ached  as  I  saw  the  shock  of  pain  and  distress,  which 
the  disappointment  at  her  mother's  extraordinary  re- 
ception of  her  had  caused. 

"As  for  myself,"  said  von  Kronheim,  when  the 
Duchess  had  finished  with  the  letters,  "  I  can  only  say 
that  while  before  I  was  anxious,  for  patriotic  reasons, 
that  the  arrangement  should  be  carried  out,  now  that 
I  have  seen  my  cousin  it  has  become  the  one  desire  of 
my  heart."  But  this  was  a  false  note  for  the  strange, 
austere  woman  to  whom  it  was  addressed. 

"  These  marriages  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  heart, 
Count.  Celia  will,  of  course,  understand  that.  She 
will  recognise  that  the  first  considerations  are  those  of 
policy  and  expediency." 

The  Count  glanced  at  Celia  in  some  dismay.  He 
read  her  better  than  her  mother. 

"  My  cousin's  life  has  not  yet  brought  her  in  contact 
with  the  rules  of  life  that  prevail  in  Courts,  your  High- 
ness," he  said,  as  if  to  excuse  the  opposition  which  he 
saw  in  Celia's  attitude. 

"  It  does  not  appear  to  be  of  much  importance  what 
my  own  opinions  or  wishes  are,"  said  Celia. 

"  To  me  they  would  always  be  everything,"  he  pro- 
tested, bowing. 

"  You  have  much  to  learn,  Celia,"  said  her  mother, 
sharply,  "  and  the   sooner  you  commence  the  better. 


no  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  manner  in  which  you  have  been  brought  up  was 
decided  upon  hurriedly  and  at  a  crisis  when  the  future 
could  not  be  foreseen.  The  illness  of  your  brother  has 
changed  everything  for  you.  I  trust  you  understand 
that.  I  hope,  too,  that  it  will  not  prove  a  mistake  to 
have  kept  you  so  long  in  ignorance  of  your  rightful 
position." 

Celia's  face  hardened  and  she  bit  her  lip. 

"  I  shall  always  endeavor  to  do  that  which  your  High- 
ness desires." 

"  That  is  no  more  than  your  duty,"  was  the  cold 
reply,  spoken  sternly,  with  the  air  of  one  who  meant 
to  compel  obedience.  "  It  is  a  great  misfortune  for  you 
that  I  have  not  been  able  to  be  with  you  before,  for  I 
doubt  whether  you  have  been  trained  to  obedience." 

There  was  not  a  trace  or  sign  of  anything  faintly  ap- 
proaching gentleness  in  her  manner,  to  say  nothing  of 
affection  ;  not  even  a  gesture  or  tone  of  the  voice  to 
suggest  that  she  was  even  glad  of  the  meeting.  Had 
Celia  herself  been  the  cause  of  the  long  separation  her 
mother  could  scarcely  have  been  more  repellent  and 
harsh.  The  unnaturalness  of  her  attitude  was  tragic 
in  its  cruelty,  and  I  knew  how  deep  into  Celia's  heart 
the  wounds  would  sink. 

Even  von  Kronheim  understood  something  of  this 
and  regretted  it;  not  because  of  the  cruelty  but  because 
he  felt  how  it  would  set  Celia  against  him  and  increase 
his  difficulty.  Had  he  dared,  he  would  have  protested, 
but  he  knew  that  while  such  a  protest  would  help  him 
very  little  with  the  daughter  it  might  do  him  infinite 
harm  with  the  mother. 

"  Sir  Stanley  has  told  you  the  peculiar  circumstances 
of  your  case,  Celia,  and  you  will  thus  understand  what 


A  FAMILY  COUNCIL  in 

is  required  of  you.  Your  brother's  illness  and  probable 
death  " — she  spoke  of  this  as  indifferently  as  if  the  boy 
had  been  a  stranger  instead  of  her  own  son — "  has 
made  it  imperative  that  your  position  should  be  de- 
fined accurately  and  your  succession  to  the  throne 
made  secure.  Added  to  this  is  the  necessity  of  rein- 
stating me  in  my  rightful  position  in  the  eyes  of  all  in 
the  Duchy  and  in  Europe ;  and  our  one  consideration, 
yours  and  mine,  must  be  how  this  can  best  be  accom- 
plished.    You  understand  this,  of  course  ?  " 

Celia  glanced  at  me  in  dismay,  and  for  a  moment  did 
not  reply. 

"  There  can  be  no  need  for  you  to  seek  advice  from 
Sir  Stanley  Meredith,"  said  her  mother,  with  aggres- 
sive harshness,  as  if  resenting  the  tacit  appeal.  "  He 
has  told  me  of  the  mistake  which  has  been  made,  and, 
of  course,  you  will  see  the  absolute  necessity  for  put- 
ting an  end  to  everything  of  the  kind.  Any  engage- 
ment or  understanding  of  that  sort  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  I  shall  expect  you  to  recognise  this  instantly. 
If  that  ring  on  your  finger  has  any  sort  of  connection 
with  the  matter  take  it  off  at  once." 

Count  von  Kronheim  looked  at  me  with  a  smile  of 
malicious  triumph.  He  had  now  what  he  thought 
was  the  key  to  my  conduct. 

Celia  made  no  attempt  to  do  what  her  mother  said. 
Her  expressive  features  showed  something  of  the  strug- 
gle in  her  mind,  her  fealty  to  her  love  for  me  battling 
fiercely  with  her  desire  not  to  oppose  her  mother,  while 
the  pain  caused  by  the  Duchess's  most  unexpected  and 
indeed  almost  hostile  coldness,  heightened  her  agita- 
tion and  perplexity. 

11  You  do  not  make  a  very  auspicious  beginning.     If 


H2  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

you  intend  to  set  me  at  defiance  in  this  way  it  argues 
ill  for  your  training.  You  heard  what  I  told  you. 
Why  don't  you  answer  me  ?  " 

Her  mother  was  growing  more  insistent  and  impera- 
tive each  time  she  spoke. 

"  I  heard  your  Highness,"  said  Celia. 

"  Did  you  give  that  ring  to  Celia,  Sir  Stanley,  when 
you  knew  the  position  of  matters  ?  " 

"  When  I  gave  the  ring  I  had  heard  nothing  from 
my  uncle,  as  I  have  before  explained  to  you,  madame." 

"  And  when  you  had  heard,  why  did  you  permit  it 
to  be  retained  ?  " 

Alas  for  poor  Celia's  comedy  !  The  remembrance 
of  the  scene  flashed  into  my  thoughts  as  I  answered  : 
"  I  have  already  explained  to  your  Highness  that  I 
told  Celia  of  the  difficulties  of  our  position." 

"Then  I  am  surprised  you  should  have  allowed  her 
to  retain  it.  You  have  been  untrue  to  your  trust,  sir. 
As  for  you,  Celia,  you  should  be  ashamed  to  wear  it," 
she  said,  sternly.  "  Give  it  back  at  once  to  Sir  Stan- 
ley ;  at  once." 

"If  Stanley  really  wishes  it  I  will  give  it  him.  Other- 
wise, I  cannot."  Her  tone  was  low,  but  her  voice  very 
firm. 

"  This  is  rank  disobedience  to  me.  Return  it,  I  tell 
you,"  cried  the  Duchess. 

"  If  Celia  wishes  to  retain  it  I  certainly  do  not  ask 
for  it,"  I  said. 

"  Do  you  intend  to  join  in  this  conspiracy  against 
me,  Sir  Stanley  ?  It  is  indeed  time  that  Celia  came 
into  my  charge." 

"  Will  you  permit  me  to  withdraw,  your  Highness  ?  " 
said  von  Kronheim.     "  This  is  a  very  unexpected  and 


A  FAMILY  COUNCIL  113 

very  painful  scene  to  me.  I  now  understand  Sir  Stan- 
ley Meredith's  conduct.' 

I  could  have  struck  him  for  the  leer  of  malice  with 
which  he  accompanied  his  words. 

"  No,  Count.  This  concerns  you  very  closely  now, 
and  there  must  be  an  explanation.  It  had  better  be 
in  your  presence." 

"  I  must  be  allowed  to  say  that  I  am  not  conscious 
of  having  been  in  any  respect  untrue  to  my  trust,"  I 
said.  "  Let  me  explain.  When  I  asked  Celia  to  be 
my  wife,  I  was  not  aware  of  any  obstacle  between  us ; 
and  when  I  learnt  the  facts,  I  explained  them  to  her. 
They  could,  of  course,  make  no  difference  in  my  feel- 
ings for  her,  and  they  have  not."  Celia  welcomed  this 
avowal  with  a  swift  glance.  "  Our  position  then  was 
this.  If  it  was  found  to  be  really  impossible  that  my 
hope  could  be  realised,  I  was  prepared  to  stand  aside 
if  it  would  help  her  happiness  and  advancement.  But 
until  that  impossibility  became  absolutely  clear,  Celia's 
honour  was  in  no  way  touched  by  her  retention  of  the 
ring." 

"  It  was  most  indiscreet,  most  unpardonable,  most 
indecent,"  exclaimed  the  Duchess,  vehemently.  "  Of 
course,  a  marriage  of  the  kind  is  an  impossibility,  and, 
being  for  the  moment  in  the  position  of  Celia's  guar- 
dian, it  was  your  imperative  duty  to  have  put  an  end 
at  once  to  all  semblance  and  pretence  of  an  engage- 
ment. However,  I  will  see  to  it  now.  Give  me  the 
ring,  Celia,  and  get  ready  to  come  with  me  from  this 
house." 

Instead  of  doing  this,  Celia  crossed  to  my  side. 

"  I  am  sorry  if  I  offend  your  Highness,  but  I  will 
not   give  up    the    ring.     I    gave    my    word    to    marry 


ii4  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Stanley  and  I  will  not  marry  anyone  else  to  gain  fifty 
thrones.     I  love  him  with  my  whole  heart." 

She  raised  her  head  proudly  as  she  made  the  dec- 
laration, and  looked  steadily  at  her  mother. 

"  You  dare  say  this  to  my  face  ?  "  cried  the  Duchess. 
"  To  me,  your  mother." 

"  If  that  appeal  wakes  no  echo  in  my  heart,  it  is 
you,  not  I  who  must  take  the  blame.  I  came  to  you 
hoping  more  than  I  can  tell  you  from  the  interview 
ready  to  bare  my  heart  to  you,  and  trusting  to  find, 
at  last  the  mother's  sympathy  and  love  that  my  life 
has  never  known.  And  instead  of  that,  you  have  met 
me  coldly,  with  harsh  words,  reproaches,  repulses, 
and  an  angry  command  to  give  up  what  is  more  to  me 
than  life  itself — the  love  of  the  man  I  love.  I  cannot 
do  it ;  and  if  you   force  me  to  say  it,  I  will   not  do 

it." 

"  You  are  an  unnatural  child  to  presume  to  speak 
to  me  in  this  way.  You  will  be  betrothed  to  your 
cousin  here,  the  Count  von  Kronheim.  The  marriage 
is  necessary  for  reasons  of  State,  which  even  Sir  Stanley 
Meredith  must  appreciate." 

"  The  Count  von  Kronheim  will  scarcely  wish  for  a 
bride  whose  love,  to  his  knowledge,  is  given  to  another. 
But  in  any  event  I  will  not  marry  him." 

The  Count's  face  wore  a  scowl  as  dark  as  night, 
despite  all  his  efforts  to  hide  his  anger. 

"  Believe  me,  that  I  deeply  sympathise  with  you  in 
the  embarrassing  position  in  which  you  find  yourself, 
cousin,"  he  said,  bowing.  "  But  there  are  so  many  and 
such  high  reasons  of  policy  and  expediency  for  the 
marriage,  that  even  if  I  were  not  attracted  by  your- 
self I  could  not  put  my  own  feelings  in  the  foreground. 


A  FAMILY  COUNCIL  115 

It  shall  be  the  desire  and  object  of  my  life  to  make  you 
happy." 

"  Such  a  shameless  avowal  as  yours,  Celia,  is  scan- 
dalous. But  it  is  useless  to  set  yourself  in  opposition 
to  all  the  high  interests  involved,  and  I  shall  find  means 
to  convince  you.     Get  ready  to  accompany  me  at  once." 

"  Must  I  go,  Stanley  ? "  cried  Celia,  putting  her 
hand  on  my  arm  and  looking  into  my  face. 

"  You  would  scarcely  remain  in  the  house  of  the 
man  for  whom  you  have  thus  wantonly  proclaimed 
your  love,"  cried  the  angry  Duchess. 

"  Must  I  go,  Stanley  ?  "  repeated  Celia.  "  I  will  do 
what  you  tell  me." 

"  Sir  Stanley  will  scarcely  interfere  in  this  matter," 
said  von  Kronheim,  scowling  at  me  in  his  rage. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  have  something  to  say,"  I 
replied,  maddened  on  my  side  by  his  interference.  I 
had  borne  with  the  farce  of  his  pretensions  long  enough. 

"  I  think  it  is  a  matter  in  which  you  should  say 
nothing,  sir,"  said  the  Duchess,  haughtily.  "  I  cannot 
recognise  any  pretensions  of  yours." 

"  Do  I  understand,  your  Highness,  that  you  intend 
to  accept  the  proposals  of  the  Count  von  Kronheim 
for  Celia's  hand  ?  " 

"  A  question  I  decline  to  answer.  Celia,  you  will 
come  with  me  at  once.  I  can  trust  you  no  longer  in 
this  house."  0 

"  Celia  herself  has  asked  me  what  she  shall  do,"  said 
I,  biting  my  lips  at  this  deliberate  insult. 

"  I  decline  to  allow  Celia  to  remain  here.  She  must 
come  with  me.     Get  ready  at  once,  Celia." 

"  Then  with  all  respect  to  your  Highness,  I  shall 
decline  on  my  side  to  let  Celia  leave." 


u6  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  You  would    not   dare "  exclaimed  von   Kron- 

heim. 

"  Unless,  of  course,  Celia  herself  wishes  to  go,"  I 
continued,  ignoring  his  interference. 

"  I  shall  not  go,  Stanley,"  she  said,  readily,  in  a 
tone  of  relief. 

"  I  am  pained  to  have  to  act  in  this  way,  your  Highness, 
and  I  should  not  do  so  had  I  not  the  strongest  reasons. 
I  know  much  about  the  intentions  and  schemes  of  the 
Count  von  Kronheim,  and  I  am  on  the  eve  of  learning 
much  more.  But  what  I  know  already  is  more  than 
sufficient  to  convince  me  that  I  am  taking  the  right 
course." 

"  Do  I  understand  that  you  dare  to  compromise 
Celia  in  this  unmanly  fashion,  and  to  prevent  the 
exercise  of  my  right  and  just  authority?"  cried  the 
Duchess. 

"  I  shall  take  immediate  steps  to  inform  his  Royal 
Highness,  the  Duke,  of  what  I  have  done,  and  leave 
him  to  deal  with  this  gentleman,"  I  said. 

"  You  are  taking  a  very  insolent  and  very  dangerous 
course,  sir,"  said  von  Kronheim. 

"  I  am  prepared  to  face  all  the  consequences,"  I  an- 
swered, coldly. 

"You  are  a  most  unnatural  daughter,  Celia,"  said 
her  mother,  rising.  "  I  bid  you  again  to  come  with 
me.     Do  you  set  me  at  defiance  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  come  with  your  Highness,"  answered 
Celia,  scrupulous  in  her  avoidance  of  the  word  mother. 

"  Give  me  your  arm,  Count.  I  will  find  the  means 
of  bringing  you  to  a  sense  of  your  duty,  Celia,"  and, 
with  that  parting  threat,  uttered  with  great  vehemence 
and  with  a  look  of  deep  anger,  the  Duchess  went  away. 


A  FAMILY  COUNCIL  117 

Celia's  clasp  tightened  on  my  arm  as  her  mother 
passed  us,  and  she  caught  her  breath  quickly.  But  as 
the  door  closed  she  looked  up  in  my  face  and  smiled 
wistfully. 

"  Our  comedy  is  getting  near  a  tragedy  now,  Stanley. 
But  I  will  not  give  way." 


CHAPTER    XII 

AT  THE  EMBASSY 

CELIA  slipped  her  arm  from  mine  and  crossed  to  the 
window  to  see  the  Duchess  and  von  Kronheim  leave 
the  house. 

"  What  can  they  do  next,  Stanley?"  she  asked. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  know,"  I  answered.  "  But  I 
shall  have  to  do  something  on  my  side." 

"  What !  Shall  you  have  to  send  me  off  again  ?  It 
seems  so  useless,  and  so  absurd.  Why  cannot  they 
leave  me  alone  ?  " 

"  The  position  is  very  serious,"  I  said,  irrelevantly. 

"  What  a  time  they  are  in  leaving  the  house." 

At  the  words  a  thought  struck  me,  and  I  opened  the 
door  and  went  into  the  hall.  I  saw  something  to  make 
me  serious.  Schwartz  and  the  Duchess  were  absorbed 
in  conversation,  and  the  man  was  more  moved  and  agi- 
tated than  I  had  ever  known  him.  They  were  so  en- 
grossed that  they  did  not  notice  me,  and  I  re-entered 
the  room  and  closed  the  door  again. 

"  They  will  have  an  ally  inside  the  house,  Celia," 
I  said,  quietly.  "  Schwartz  has  evidently  recognised 
the  Duchess,  and  they  are  in  close  conference  in  the 
hall.  I  don't  want  to  play  the  spy,  but  I  confess  I 
should  like  to  know  what  has  passed  between  them." 

"  They  are  going  now,"  exclaimed  Celia  at  that  mo- 
ment, and  we  saw  them  cross  the  pavement  and  enter 
118 


AT  THE  EMBASSY  119 

von  Kronheim's  carriage,  Schwartz  in  close  and  obse- 
quious attendance. 

"Can  that  really  be  my  mother,  Stanley?"  asked 
Celia,  with  a  quaver  of  sadness  in  her  voice.  "  She  had 
not  even  a  kind  look,  to  say  nothing  of  a  kind  word, 
for  me  the  whole  time.     I  can't  understand  it." 

I  understood  it,  but  was  loth  to  tell  her.  "  Count 
von  Kronheim's  arrival  prevented  her  from  showing  her 
feelings,"  I  said. 

"  Don't  say  things  to  try  and  mislead  me.  She  could 
have  sent  him  away ;  while  as  a  fact,  she  asked  him  to 
stop.  Could  a  mother  behave  in  such  a  way  ?  Don't 
you  think  she  may  be  someone  sent  here  by  the  Count 
to  act  as  my  mother?     1  thought  so  more  than  once." 

"  If  so  I  think  the  part  would  have  been  played  dif- 
ferently. Besides,  Schwartz  has  recognised  her.  At 
all  events,  we  can  ask  him  that.  He  hates  von  Kron- 
heim,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  duped." 

I  rang  the  bell,  and  sent  word  for  Schwartz  to  come 
to  me. 

"  Do  you  know  the  lady  who  has  just  gone  out, 
Schwartz  ?  " 

He  looked  at  me  in  surprise  at  the  question. 

"  Certainly,  Sir  Stanley.  It  is  her  Highness  the 
Grand  Duchess  of  Saxe-Lippe." 

"You  are  sure  ?" 

"  Quite  positive,  sir.  I  should  know  her  Highness 
among  ten  thousand." 

"  What  was  she  saying  to  you  in  the  hall  ?" 

"  I  had  asked  permission  to  express  my  delight  at 
seeing  her  again,  and  she  graciously  accorded  it.  She 
was  good  enough  to  recognise  me,  sir,  as  Sir  Henry's 
confidential  man  in  the  old  days  in  Crudenstadt,  sir." 


i2o  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

**  Yes,  and  what  else  ?  " 

"  There  was  nothing  else,  Sir  Stanley." 

A  slight  hesitation  in  his  manner,  a  dropping  of  the 
eyes,  and  something  in  his  tone  told  me  me  was  ly- 
ing. My  first  impulse  was  to  question  him,  but  I 
thought  it  better  for  the  present  not  to  let  him  think 
that  my  suspicions  were  roused. 

"  I  wished  to  be  assured  that  it  was  the  Duchess," 
I  answered,  lightly.  "  You  may  go.  It  was  the 
Duchess,  you  see,  Celia,"  I  said,  when  the  door  closed 
behind  him. 

"  I  should  not  have  thought  it  possible,"  she  cried. 
"  Can  she  be  utterly  without  a  mother's  feelings  to- 
wards me  ?  O  Stanley  !  I  would  have  given  the 
world  for  a  single  look  or  word  of  love.  I  would  have 
done  my  utmost  to  try  and  be  a  help  to  her.  But  her 
heart  is  shut  against  me,  and  she  has  no  wish  or 
thought  about  me,  except  to  use  me  for  these  ambi- 
tious plans.  And  to  order  me  to  marry  that  man  !  I 
would  die  first !  " 

"  You  must  make  allowances  for  what  she  herself 
has  suffered,  Celia.  For  nearly  the  whole  term  of  your 
life  she  has  been  kept  in  close  custody  by  the  Duke's 
orders,  brooding  over  her  wrongs  and  nursing  her  de- 
sire to  be  revenged,  and  also  to  reinstate  herself  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  she  should  sacrifice  my  whole 
life  for  her  revenge,  and  condemn  me  to  an  even  worse 
fate  than  her  own  ?  I  would  far  rather  live  alone  in  a 
prison  cell  than  be  free  as  the  wife  of  such  a  man  as 
the  Count  von  Kronheim.  What  a  disillusion  !  I 
have  often  dreamt  of  what  my  mother  would  have 
been   could    I    have   known    her,    for    I    have    always 


AT  THE  EMBASSY  121 

thought  of  her  as  dead.  But  all  the  strangest  fancy 
pictures  of  even  my  gloomiest  moods  have  had  some 

love  in   them.     But  this,  the  reality "  And  a  sigh 

of  mingled  bitterness  and  sadness  welled  up  from  the 
depths  of  her  disappointment. 

**  It  may  all  come  right  yet,"  I  murmured.  It  was 
a  feeble  consolation  and  had  no  consoling  effect  upon 
Celia. 

"  How  come  right  ?  Would  you  have  me  do  what 
she  wishes  ?  "  She  put  a  hand  on  my  arm  and  turned 
her  eyes  full  upon  me.     "  Do  you  wish  it  ?  " 

"I  wish  nothing  but  your  real  happiness,  Celia; 
and  though  I  do  not  know  what  you  ought  to  do,  I 
know  that  the  wife  of  such  a  man  would  bid  good-bye 
to  all  chance  of  any." 

"  How  do  you  think  I  should  be  happiest  ?  " 

"You  mean  outside  the  Forbidden  Land?" 

"  I  like  that,"  she  cried,  smiling.  "  Or  better  in  the 
gloom  beyond  the  walls  of  the  city  of  Forbidden  Hap- 
piness." 

"  I  hope  it  will  not  always  be  gloom.  The  sun  can 
shine  there  as  well  as  in  the  city,  even  if  not  with  such 
dazzling  brightness.  But  I  do  not  know  what  you 
ought  to  do  next." 

"  I  think  I  know.  I  have  a  mind  to  go  myself  to 
Crudenstadt  and  see  the  Duke  himself.  Will  you  take 
me?" 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  that — of  your  going.  But 
you  have  given  me  an  idea  and  I  will  act  on  it.  I  will 
go  to  the  German  Embassy  here  and  try  to  learn  some- 
thing reliable  about  the  position  of  Saxe-Lfppe  mat- 
ters. You  can  stay  here  with  Aunt  Margaret  and 
Blossom   for  a  while.     I  think  you  will  be  safer  here 


122  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

now  that  Schwartz  has  gone  over  to  the  enemy.  But 
you  must  be  very  careful.  The  house  is  sure  to  be 
watched  closely,  and  with  Schwartz  inside  and  spies 
outside  it  is  easy  to  see  how  your  movements  may  be 
dogged." 

"  I  may  really  stay  here  ? "  she  cried,  gladly,  her 
face  lighting  rarely. 

"  You  must  be  very  cautious,"  I  said,  earnestly. 

"  I  will  be  on  my  best  comedy  behaviour,  and  will 
not  brood  more  than  I  can  help  on  the  tragedy ;  and  I 
will  religiously  remember  that  the  walls  are  thick  and 
the  gates  heavily  barred." 

"The  walls  thick?"  I  repeated,  not  catching  her 
meaning. 

"  Yes,"  and  she  smiled  at  my  perplexity.  "  The 
walls  of  that  city.     But  it  won't  be  gloomy  here." 

Then  I  laughed  with  her,  and  despite  the  net  of 
troubles  and  complications  we  felt  happy  enough  then. 

Blossom  came  in  as  we  were  laughing. 

"  You  seem  very  happy  over  your  mysteries,  you 
two,"  she  said.     "  I  heard  you  were  alone." 

"  May  I  tell  Blossom  ?  "  asked  Celia. 

"  Yes,  if  she'll  promise  to  keep  the  secret.  But 
don't  tell  Aunt  Margaret  yet,  she  might  forget  and  say 
something." 

Blossom  looked  at  us  each  in  turn  and  then  laughed. 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  tell  me.  I  can  assure  you  I  know 
well  enough,  and  I'm  awfully  glad  about  it.  I  shan't 
be  a  bit  jealous  of  you,  dear,"  and  she  kissed  Celia, 
who  blushed  and  smiled  at  me. 

"  It's  not  that  at  all,  Blossom,"  said  I,  with  a  slight 
flush  of  confusion,  "but  Celia  will  tell  you  everything," 
and  with  that  I  packed  them  out  of  the  room. 


AT  THE  EMBASSY  123 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone  I  ordered  my  carriage 
and  sent  for  Schwartz.  It  occurred  to  me  that  I  might 
need  his  testimony  at  the  German  Embassy,  and  I  was 
not  unwilling  that  our  opponents  should  know  that  I 
was  at  once  communicating  with  the  Duke.  I  told  him 
merely  that  I  wished  him  to  accompany  the  carriage 
as  I  might  need  him. 

At  the  Embassy  I  had  to  wait  some  time  and  then 
saw  a  high  official,  Count  Bursten,  who  received  me 
courteously,  but,  on  the  plea  of  many  engagements, 
urged  me  to  be  brief. 

"  I  will  be  as  brief  as  possible,  but  the  matter  is  some- 
what urgent.  My  business  is  concerned  with  the  Saxe- 
Lippe  succession,  and  I  wish  to  know  whether  I  can 
be  placed  in  communication  with  his  Serene  Highness, 
the  Grand  Duke.  I  am  the  nephew  and  heir  of  Sir 
Henry  Meredith,  who  was  formerly  known  as  Colonel 
Rothen,  in  the  service  and  confidence  of  the  Duke." 

My  words  created  an  immediate  impression. 

"  On  that  business  I  can  give  you  any  time  you  re- 
quire, Sir  Stanley.  It  is  just  now  a  burning  question. 
Pray  tell  me  what  you  know." 

"  What  is  the  latest  news  of  the  young  Duke  ? " 
I  asked. 

"  Very  bad  ;  worse  than  the  bulletins  imply,  and  his 
Serene  Highness  is  in  despair." 

"  What  are  his  Highness's  plans  as  to  the  succes- 
sion ?  " 

He  raised  his  hands  and  smiled  politely  as  he  re- 
plied :  "  Why  do  you  ask  ?  " 

"  I  wish  to  know  what  his  intentions  are  with  regard 
to  the  second  child  of  the  marriage,  the  daughter." 

"  And  why  ?  " 


I24  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Because  she  is  in  my  care,  and  the  responsibility- 
threatens  to  be  a  very  heavy  one." 

"  In  your  care  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  in  manifest  astonish- 
ment. "  There  was  a  second  child,  we  know — I  have 
been  looking  very  closely  into  the  matter  recently — 
but  she  disappeared,  and  we  understood  she  was  dead. 
Do  you  know  anything  of  the  unfortunate  events  of 
that  time  ?  " 

For  answer  I  put  into  his  hands  all  the  papers  and 
statements  concerning  Celia  which  my  uncle  had  left 
at  the  bank.  They  made  a  somewhat  bulky  parcel, 
and  he  looked  at  it  at  first  in  some  dismay,  but  he  had 
not  glanced  at  more  than  a  few  lines  when  he  ex- 
claimed : 

"  This  is  most  important.  I  will  read  them  at  once," 
and  he  plunged  into  them,  becoming  deeply  absorbed. 

I  sat  and  watched  him  with  a  feeling  of  relief.  It 
was  now  certain  that  we  should  at  least  have  a  clear 
head  to  give  the  counsel  we  needed  to  ensure  Celia's 
safety  ;  but  with  the  relief  was  mingled  a  tightening 
fear  that  the  interview  would  result  in  heightening  and 
widening  the  obstacles  that  divided  Celia  from  me. 
As  the  minutes  passed  and  he  turned  from  paper  to 
paper,  and  then  referred  to  others  which  he  sent  for, 
my  patience  was  tried  until  the  long  delay  began  to 
chafe  and  irritate  me. 

"  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  you  did  not  bring  those  to 
us  before,  Sir  Stanley,"  was  his  comment  at  the  close. 

"  They  have  been  in  my  possession  only  a  few  days, 
your  Excellency  ;  only  since  my  uncle  died." 

"  I  understand,"  he  said,  and  then  he  went  back  to 
them  again  to  refer  to  certain  points,  making  notes  of 
them  as  he  read. 


AT  THE  EMBASSY  125 

"  They  are  very  important,  very  critical  indeed.  Is 
there  any  person  in  existence  who  can  give  any  evi- 
dence in  support  of  what  is  here  written  ?  It  would 
be  valuable." 

"  My  late  uncle's  confidential  attendant  can  give 
such  evidence,  I  believe.  His  name  is  Schwartz,  and 
I  have  brought  him  here  to-day." 

"  Can  you  send  for  him  at  once  ?  " 

"  I  can  if  you  wish.  Eat  before  doing  that  there 
are  other  matters  you  should  know.  They  concern 
Celia  closely,  and  also  her  mother,  the  Duchess." 

"  Ah  !     What  do  you  know  of  her  Highness  ?  " 

"  She  is  in  London,  and  had  ai  interview  with  her 
daughter  at  my  house  this  morning,"  and  I  told  him 
then  all  that  had  occurred  in  regard  to  the  Count  von 
Kronheim,  my  interview  with  the  Duchess,  and  the 
interview  that  morning,  and  lastly,  my  suspicions  in 
regard  to  Schwartz. 

"  That  young  man  is  playing  a  dangerous  game,"  he 
said.     "  Do  you  know  who  he  is?" 

"  Yes,  he  told  me  himself  he  was  the  younger  son, 
and  that  there  are  reasons  why  his  elder  brother  can- 
not take  the  throne." 

"  Of  course  there  is  only  one — that  he  wishes  it  for 
himself.  Were  he  married  to  the  Duke's  daughter  he 
might  succeed.  Is  the  young  Duchess  in  perfectly 
safe  keeping?  " 

"  She  is  at  my  house.  I  think  I  can  trust  myself  to 
take  good  care  of  her,"  I  replied,  and  something  in  my 
tone  seemed  to  strike  him  for  he  looked  up  very 
sharply  at  me. 

"  For  the  present  that  may,  perhaps,  be  the  best 
thing,"  he  said,  slowly,  after  a  pause.     "  But  you  must 


126  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

be  well  on  your  guard.  There  is  no  lack  of  risks  to  be 
run.  I  need  scarcely  tell  you  that  this  question  of  the 
Saxe-Lippe  succession  is  causing  much  anxiety  at  Ber- 
lin, and  it  is  quite  possible,  I  do  not  say  certain,  that 
if  these  papers  are  substantiated,  and  the  young 
Duchess  herself  is  recognised  by  the  Duke,  her  cause 
would  be  espoused  there." 

"  What  is  the  attitude  of  the  Duke?  "  I  asked. 

"  He  regards  his  daughter  as  dead.  Whether  he 
believes  her  to  be  dead  or  whether  the  feeling  is  merely 
the  outcome  of  the  peculiar  and  tragic  circumstances 
under  which  she  was  spirited  away,  I  cannot  decide, 
of  course.  But  that  is  the  key  to  his  present  policy 
and  attitude." 

"  Would  it  be  of  any  service  for  her  to  go  to  Cruden- 
stadt  and  seek  an  interview  with  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  None  whatever,  none,"  he  replied,  instantly  and 
emphatically.  "  No  result  could  follow  but  an  inter- 
view vastly  more  painful  for  the  young  Duchess  Celia 
than  that  which  has  taken  place  this  morning.  On  the 
one  point  of  his  wife's  infidelity  he  remains  absolutely 
inexorable.  I  am  speaking  very  confidentially  to  you. 
The  matter  can  only  be  dealt  with  through  the  ordi- 
nary channels  of  diplomacy  and  will  require  most  care- 
ful handling." 

"  Equally  useless  for  me  to  go,  then  ?  " 

"Worse,  probably,  in  its  effect  upon  his  Highness. 
You  must  remember  he  has  nursed  his  imaginary  be- 
trayal at  the  hands  of  your  uncle  for  nearly  twenty 
years,  and  that  he  is  hard,  stern  and  morose  by  nature. 
The  mere  fact  of  your  being  your  uncle's  nephew  would 
madden  him.  Indeed,  I  may  tell  you  that  probably 
the  fact  that  his  daughter  has  been  in  your  charge  may 


AT  THE  EMBASSY  127 

be  one  of  the  greatest  stumbling  blocks  to  any  recon- 
ciliation and  acknowledgment  of  her- claims.  The  fact 
of  that  relationship  must  indeed  be  kept  carefully- 
secret." 

"  There  is  little  hope  of  that,  then.  This  von  Kron- 
heim  knows  it." 

"  True,  but  we  may  find  means  of  dealing  with  him." 

"  The  Duchess  herself  knows  it,  too.  And  Celia 
has  always  felt  under  too  many  obligations  to  my 
uncle  to  wish  to  conceal  it." 

"  If  the  young  Duchess  wishes  to  gain  her  rights 
she  must  be  prepared  to  place  herself  in  our  hands." 

"  But  that  is  another  point.     She  does  not  wish  it." 

He  started  and  looked  at  me  in  surprise. 

"  Does  not  wish  it,  Sir  Stanley  ? "  He  thought  a 
moment,  and  then,  as  if  recalling  his  former  flash  .of 
suspicion  of  the  truth,  he  said,  very  seriously  :  "  I 
trust  there  has  been  no  indiscretion  in  the  form  of  any 
attachment  to  anyone." 

"  I  have  not  come  to  conceal  anything,"  I  replied, 
meeting  his  keen  glance  steadily.  "  Before  Celia  and 
I  had  any  knowledge  of  her  true  position  I  had  asked 
her  to  be  my  wife  and  she  had  consented." 

He  pursed  up  his  lips  and  frowned. 

"  That  is  the  reason  of  her  objection  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  That  is  the  reason  of  her  objection." 

"  No  one  knows  of  this  but  yourselves?  " 

"  Yes,  I  conceived  it  my  duty  to  inform  the  Duch- 
ess." 

He  drew  in  his  breath  sharply.  "  That  was  an  ex- 
ceeding indiscretion.     And  this  von  Kronheim  ?  " 

"  He  learnt  it  this  morning.  The  Duchess  told 
him." 


128  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  Ambassador  passed  his  hand  across  his  fore- 
head, frowned  again,  and  said  nothing  for  some  mo- 
ments. 

"  Well,  we  must  act  at  once,"  he  said  then.  "  I 
will  see  him — if  I  can  find  him,  that  is ;  for  when  he 
learns  you  have  been  closeted  with  me  we  may  look 
for  a  change  in  his  methods,  and.  .  .  ."  He  paused  to 
think,  then  breaking  off,  asked  :  "  What  was  your  im- 
pression of  her  Highness,  judging  by  your  interviews 
with  her  ?  "  he  asked,  suddenly. 

"At  first  I  thought  she  was  a  much-injured  woman, 
but  this  morning  my  opinion  was  that  no  sane  woman 
could  behave  as  she  did  towards  her  daughter." 

"Your  view  was  not  unnatural,  perhaps,  in  your  cir- 
cumstances, and  it  was  a  true  one.  Her  Highness's 
mind  was  undoubtedly  affected  years  ago.  And  in- 
stead of  passing  away,  as  all  hoped  as  the  result  of  her 
detention,  it  developed  into  that  most  distressing  form 
of  homicidal  mania.  This  is  for  your  ears  only,  Sir  Stan- 
ley. Twice  she  tried  to  lay  violent  hands  on  her  own 
life  and  was  with  difficulty  prevented.  Then  in  one  of 
her  violent  moods,  which  come  so  suddenly  that  no 
one  can  detect  the  symptoms,  she  killed  the  woman  in 
attendance  upon  her.  I  tell  you  because  you  have, 
for  the  moment,  the  charge  of  the  daughter,  and  you 
must  be  warned  of  the  imminent  peril  of  allowing  her 
for  one  hour  to  get  into  the  hands  of  her  mother." 

"  Thank  God  I  didn't  let  her  go  this  morning !  "  I 
exclaimed,  vastly  moved  at  this. 

M  It  will  not  be  for  long  that  you  will  have  to  watch 
so  carefully.  She  had  escaped  all  our  vigilance,  and 
we  did  not  know  where  she  was  until  you  told  me  she 
was  here   in  London.     Means  will   at   once  be  taken. 


AT  THE  EMBASSY  129 

however — within  an  hour  indeed — to  secure  her  again  ; 
but  should  they  fail  I  warn  you  by  all  you  hold  sacred 
to  be  ever  on  your  guard.  You  cannot  tell  what  form 
her  mania  may  take  nor  when  it  may  show  itself." 

He  rose  then  to  end  the  interview  and  shook  hands. 

"  I  will  communicate  with  you  the  instant  there  is 
anything  to  tell,  and  meanwhile  I  will  keep  these 
papers  and  will  not  see  this  man  Schwartz — stay,  bet- 
ter let  him  come  in  and  be  detained  here  on  some  pre- 
text until  we  have  taken  action." 

He  rang  the  bell  and  told  the  secretary  who  came  to 
have  Schwartz  brought  in.  We  waited,  and  a  minute 
later  the  reply  came  that  he  was  not  with  my  carriage. 

What  did  it  mean  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION 

THE  news  that  Schwartz  had  left  the  carriage  was 
at  first  disconcerting,  and  it  was  difficult  to  reject  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  in  some  way  connected  with  the 
Duchess,  and  that  having  taken  alarm  at  my  long  con- 
ference with  the  German  Ambassador,  he  had  rushed 
away  to  warn  her. 

This  was  Count  Bursten's  view ;  and  after  I  had 
given  him  the  address  at  which  I  had  seen  the  Baron- 
ess Borgen  and  von  Kronheim,  he  urged  me  to  re- 
turn home  at  once  to  take  measures  against  any  sur- 
prise efforts  to  get  Celia  out  of  my  hands. 

"  One  question  before  I  go,"  I  said.  "  Do  you  think 
it  probable  that  Celia's  birthright  will  be  recognised  ?  " 

"  I  cannot,  of  course,  say  anything  positive  as  yet. 
I  am  doubtful,  but " — and  he  gave  me  a  very  keen, 
meaning  look  as  he  spoke — "  it  would  be  highly  im- 
politic for  you  or  for  her  to  take  any  decisive  step,  ex- 
cept on  the  assumption  that  the  due  recognition  will 
be  made." 

I  understood  him  well  enough,  and  was  chewing  the 
cud  of  his  words  on  my  way  home.  He  had  been 
shrewd  enough  to  read  the  underthought  that  was  al- 
ready battling  for  its  life  deep  down  in  my  heart — that 
I  would  risk  all,  and  marry  Celia  hurriedly,  and  so  put 

an    end   to  the  intrigue  that  way.      The  temptation 
130 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION   131 

to  take  this  step  was  almost  overpowering;  and  the 
thought  of  the  dangers  to  which  she  was  exposed  so 
moved  me  that  I  found  myself  planning  how  easily- 
such  a  marriage  could  be  arranged. 

In  one  respect,  all  those  concerned  in  preventing  her 
from  becoming  my  wife  were  alike.  They  were  all 
looking  upon  her  as  a  mere  pawn  in  the  game  of  high 
politics  that  was  being  played.  Her  mother  was  anx- 
ious to  sacrifice  her  from  motives  of  revenge;  von 
Kronheim  would  make  her  a  mere  tool  for  carving  out 
his  personal  ambitions ;  those  at  the  German  Embassy 
thought  nothing  of  her  own  feelings,  and  fixed  their 
eyes  merely  on  what  they  deemed  the  exigencies  of 
policy  ;  and  were  ready  to  trample  on  her  happiness 
as  though  it  were  a  matter  of  the  flimsiest  insignificance. 

Was  I  any  better?  Or  rather,  did  I  appear,  in  her 
eyes,  to  differ  from  them  ?  I  had  prated  of  her  duty ; 
I  had  half  persuaded  myself  that  her  self-suppression 
was  right,  and  that  she  was  bound  to  regard  the  duties 
of  her  position  rather  than  to  follow  the  dictates  of 
her  heart.  But  was  it  all  anything  more  than  cant  ? 
Had  she  not  a  right  to  decide  for  herself?  Was  I 
really  justified  in  bidding  her  break  her  heart  and  lay 
desolate  her  life  for  those  who  cared  nothing  for  her- 
self and  thought  solely  of  what  use  she  could  be  to 
them  ? 

A  wave  of  almost  passionate  rebellion  rose  in  my 
heart  and  threatened  to  sweep  away  all  other  desires 
but  those  prompted  by  my  love.  I  could  not  give  her 
up ;  I  would  not,  I  told  myself.  Let  these  people  plot 
and  plan  their  own  intrigues  as  they  would,  they  should 
not  thwart  our  love.  Let  them  settle  their  affairs  as 
they  would,  but  they  must  do  so  without  Celia. 


132  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  truth  was  that  this  interview  had  brought  me 
more  closely  face  to  face  with  the  actualities  of  the 
case  than  anything  which  had  yet  occurred.  The  first 
impressions  created  upon  me  by  my  uncle's  words,  and 
afterwards  confirmed  by  what  he  had  left  in  the  papers, 
had  worn  faint.  The  suddenness  with  which  the 
knowledge  had  come  to  me  had  stabbed  me,  and  at 
the  moment  I  had  formed  my  somewhat  lofty  concep- 
tion of  Celia's  duty.  In  my  present  mood,  I  called  it 
mere  high-falutin'  nonsense.  But  I  had  never  realised 
until  now — until  this  official's  stern,  business-like, 
definite  methods  had  driven  home  the  conviction — 
that  Celia  and  I  must  be  parted.  It  had  been  hitherto 
rather  a  vague  fear ;  a  probability  ;  a  break  in  the  even 
course  of  our  love-making ;  in  my  heart,  I  had  never 
before  realised  that  it  would  be  permanent  and  inevi-' 
table. 

But  Count  Bursten  had  succeeded  in  forcing  home 
the  certainty  of  it,  and  against  that  my  heart  rebelled 
with  all'the  force  of  love.  I  could  not,  and  would  not, 
submit. 

At  the  house  I  was  surprised  to  find  Schwartz  in  the 
hall  evidently  waiting  to  see  me  at  the  first  moment  of 
my  arrival. 

"  Why  did  you  leave  the  carriage,  Schwartz  ? "  I 
asked,  angrily. 

"  I  have  to  humbly  ask  your  forgiveness,  Sir  Stanley. 
I  was  taken  suddenly  ill.  Your  uncle  may  have  told 
you,  sir,  that  I  suffer  badly  with  my  heart.  I  had  to 
rush  away  to  get  a  remedy,  and  then  I  came  back 
home,  fearing  I  was  going  to  have  one  of  my  bad  at- 
tacks, sir." 

"  What  time  did  you   leave  the  carriage,  and  what 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION   133 

time  did  you  reach  here  ?  "  was  my  next  question  ;  but 
he  had  evidently  prepared  his  explanation  carefully, 
and  told  me  that  he  had  walked  slowly  home  after 
leaving  the  chemist's  where  he  had  obtained  the 
remedy ;  and  he  now  asked  permission  to  go  to  bed. 
It  was  a  lie,  of  course,  the  whole  thing;  and  he  in- 
vented the  story  of  the  walk,  so  as  to  account  for  the 
time  which  it  had  taken  him  to  get  to  the  Duchess. 

"  Yes,  you  can  go  to  bed.  I  am  sorry  you  are  ill. 
Let  me  know  when  you  are  better,"  I  said,  thinking  it 
best  that  he  should  not  suppose  I  suspected  him. 

"  I  am  deeply  grateful  to  you,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  re- 
plied, and  walked  away,  staggering  slightly  as  though 
from  weakness. 

It  was  a  daring  move  to  return  to  me  fresh  from  his 
act  of  treachery ;  but  the  time  to  settle  with  him  had 
not  come  yet. 

Having  ascertained  that  Celia  was  at  home  and  clos- 
eted somewhere  with  my  sister,  I  went  to  my  study  to 
try  and  fight  out  my  way  to  a  decision  as  to  whether 
I  would  dare  to  take  my  fortune  in  both  hands  and 
marry  Celia  at  once  in  spite  of  everything. 

At  lunch  Blossom  rallied  me  on  my  earnest  looks, 
and,  to  my  surprise,  followed  me  into  my  study. 

"  Celia  has  told  me  all  this  strange  story,  Stanley. 
Is  it  true?" 

"  Unquestionably  it  is.     She  is " 

"  I  don't  mean  that,"  she  broke  in,  impetuously.  "  I 
mean,  is  it  true  that  you  are  going  deliberately  to  break 
her  heart  for  all  this  rubbish  ?  " 

"  Rubbish  ?     I  don't  exactly  see " 

"  And  your  own  heart,  too,"  she  broke  in,  paying  no 
heed  to  my  words.     "  You  know  how  deeply  she  loves 


i34  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

you,  and  I  know  how  you  love  her.     Do  you  want  her 
to  believe  that  you  think  more  of  having  a  reigning 
Duchess  for  a  broken-hearted   friend   than   of  having 
Celia  for  a  happy  wife  ?     Do  you   suppose  a  girl  like 
Celia  cares  two-pence-half-penny  about  this  Saxe-Lippe 
business  ?     Why  should  she  ?     At  any  rate,  she  doesn't ; 
and  if  you  don't  want  to  make  her  the  most  miserable 
girl  on  earth,  you  ought  to  act  sensibly.     Do  you  want 
her  to  think  you're  afraid  to  marry  her?  " 
"  Celia  will  scarcely  think  that,  Blossom." 
"  Fiddlesticks  !     Do  you  suppose  girls  are  fools  ?  " 
she  said,  crossly.     "  I've  no  patience  with  you.     Here's 
this  horribly  unnatural  thing  of  a  Duchess,  calling  her- 
self a  mother,  coming  here  just  to  sell  Celia  to  a  man 
you  all  agree  is  a  scoundrel,  and  doing  it  without  a 
stitch  of  care  for  Celia's  feelings,  or  a  shred  of  natural 
affection  for  her.     What  is  Celia  to  think,  I  should  like 
to  know,  when  she  sees  you  taking  that  woman's  side  ?  " 
"  I  have  not  taken  the  Duchess's  side." 
"  Oh,  yes,  you  have.     She  forbade  Celia  to  marry 
you,  and  you  gave  way  like  a  lamb,  without  even  a 
bleat  of   protest.     If  you   think  that's   the  way  girls' 
hearts  are  won  or  kept,  you  have  odd  notions,  I  can 
assure  you.     I  tell  you,  Celia  is  breaking  her  heart  over 
this  matter,  although  she  makes  such  a  brave  show  of 
everything  and  carries  it  off  so  calmly.     But  I  know. 
And  it's  you  who  are  breaking  it.     Don't  think  that 
it's  her  mother,  or  her  position,  or  anything  of  that 
sort — it's  you,  Stanley,  and  you  only,  and  you  ought 
to  be  positively  ashamed  of  yourself — and  at  such  a 
time  when  the  poor  girl  has  had  the  shock  of  being 
claimed  by  such  a  mother.     You  men  are  positively 
brutal  in  your  blindness." 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION   135 
u  I  think  you'd  better  not " 


"  I  know  what  you're  going  to  say,  so  don't  trouble. 
I  know  you're  angry  with  me,  and  I  don't  care.  When 
Celia  told  me  this  morning,  and  I  saw  how  she  was 
suffering,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  speak  out  plainly  to 
you.  I  tell  you  her  heart  is  breaking,  and  you,  and  no 
one  else,  and  nothing  else,  are  breaking  it.  And  now 
that  I've  said  it,  I  won't  stop  to  be  scolded." 

And  she  did  not,  but  went  off,  leaving  me  staring 
after  her  in  sheer  amazement  at  the  outbreak. 

But  her  words  left  their  impression.  They  con- 
firmed the  vague  fears  I  had  had,  and  something  more. 
They  started  the  fresh  fear  that,  unless  I  acted  promptly, 
I  should  not  only  lose  Celia,  but  also  her  love.  I  felt 
helpless  and  over-weighted,  and  the  only  vent  for  my 
feelings  was  to  indulge  my  anger  against  Blossom  for 
having  pointed  out  to  me  this  new  phase  of  matters, 
and  started  this  new  dread. 

In  the  end,  however,  it  quickened  my  resolve  to  cast 
all  other  considerations  to  the  winds,  and  when  dinner 
came  my  sister,  with  a  shrewd  intuition  which  I  had 
not  thought  she  possessed,  seemed  to  divine  something 
of  my  determination. 

"  Have  you  got  over  your  anger  with  me  ?  "  she  whis- 
pered with  a  smile,  as  she  was  leaving  the  table  and 
had  let  my  aunt  and  Celia  get  ahead.  "  I  think  I  can 
see  you  have." 

11 1  don't  think  I  showed  any  anger,  Blossom." 

She  paid  no  attention  to  this,  but,  glancing  very 
shrewdly  into  my  eyes,  said  : 

"  If  you  want  to  be  alone  with  Celia  this  evening, 
I'll  see  that  Aunt  Margaret  is  safely  out  of  the  way," 
and,   without  waiting  for  any   reply,    she   kissed  me, 


136  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

laughed,  and  ran  away.  I  smoked  my  cigar  medita- 
tively, and  as  the  blue  rings  curled  upwards  I  sought 
to  balance  the  probabilities  of  the  course  I  was  going 
to  take. 

When  I  went  to  the  drawing-room  Celiawas  singing, 
and  Blossom  playing  the  accompaniment.  My  aunt 
was  not  there,  and  a  swift,  meaning  look  from  my  sister 
told  me  that  her  absence  was  the  result  of  that  lively 
little  matchmaker's  diplomacy.  I  threw  myself  into  a 
chair  and  listened  while  Celia  finished  the  song  and 
sang  again.  Then  Blossom  shut  the  piano,  lingered  a 
moment  by  it,  and,  with  the  lame  pretence  that  she 
must  go  and  see  where  Aunt  Margaret  was,  left  us. 
I  smiled,  and  Celia,  seeing  me  smile,  asked : 

"  Why  are  you  smiling,  Stanley  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  Blossom's  affectionate  solicitude 
for  Aunt  Margaret." 

She  had  taken  up  some  fancy  work,  and  as  she  bent 
her  head  over  it  I  saw  that  she  smiled  too,  from  which 
I  gathered  that  Blossom  had  also  been  diplomatising 
with  her. 

"  She  told  me  you  wished  to  speak  to  me,"  she  said 
a  moment  afterwards,  looking  across  to  me.  "  Is  it 
about  anything  that  has  happened  since  this  morning  ?  " 

M  I  have  been  to  the  German  Embassy  and  have  seen 
Count  Bursten,  and  have  told  him  all  about  things." 

"  About  my — about  the  Duchess?  "  and  she  sighed. 

"About  everything,"  I  replied,  pointedly. 

"  Is  anything  going  to  be  done,  then  ?     What  ?  " 

"  He  is  going  to  communicate  with  your  father,  the 
Duke,  to  try  and  get  your  rights  and  claims  duly  ad- 
mitted." 

She   shrugged    her    shoulders.     "  Claims,    Stanley  ? 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION  137 

Scarcely  claims.  I  claim  nothing."  There  was  a  note 
of  reproach  in  this.  "  And  I  want  none  of  these  rights  j 
there  is  too  much  pain  and  too  much  sorrow  in  them, 
as  we  found  this  morning." 

"  Do  you  think  you  appreciate  all  that  you  would 
lose  in  renouncing  them  ?  " 

"  As  the  Count  von  Kronheim's  wife  ?  " 

"  No,  that  would  never  be  necessary.  The  Ambas- 
sador will  know  how  to  deal  with  him.  He  will  not 
trouble  you." 

"  He  does  not  trouble  me  now.  I  have  too  much 
contempt  for  him,"  she  answered,  warmly.  "  Oh,  you 
mean  in  renouncing  this  Saxe-Lippe  succession.  Is 
the  .succession  certain  ?  Is  the  Duke  also  anxious  to 
force  me  to  Crudenstadt  ?  " 

"  No,  Celia.  The  Embassy  tells  me  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  approach  him  very  delicately  on  the  matter." 

"  Then  why  approach  him  at  all  ?  Does  no  one 
think  of  me  in  the  matter  ?     I  should  have  thought " 

"  Well  ?  "  I  asked,  as  she  paused. 

"Did  you  tell  this  Ambassador  that  I  have  not  the 
remotest  wish  even  to  go  to  Crudenstadt?" 

"I  told  him — everything,"  I  repeated. 

She  looked  up  quickly,  smiled,  and  let  her  glance 
fall  again. 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.     What  did  he  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  He  said  very  little  except  that  I  had  been  indis- 
creet to  say  anything  about  it  to  the  Duchess,  because 
of  the  use  she  and  von  Kronheim  might  make  of  it. 
He  appeared  to  take  it  for  granted  that,  being  a  false 
move,  we  should  be  only  too  glad  to  recall  it." 

"  We  ?     Not  you  only  ?  " 

It  was  a  little  feminine  thrust  which  she  could  not 


138  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

resist,  but  when  I  made  no  reply  she  was  quick  to 
regret  it. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Stanley,  I  ought  not  to  have 
said  that."  I  crossed  over  and  sat  down  by  her  side 
on  the  couch. 

(*  I  am  desperately  puzzled,  Celia,"  I  said,  quietly. 
"  I  want  to  do  what  is  the  right  thing,  and  I  want  to 
find  the  right  thing  for  you  to  do;  but  I  am  desper- 
ately perplexed.  I  have  been  so  pained  for  you  all 
day." 

"  I  am  sure  of  that.  You  must  have  suffered  as 
much  as  I  did  in  that  terrible  interview ;  and  in  regard 
to  it,  I  have  had  a  curious  thought — and  an  uncom- 
fortable one." 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Did  you  tell  me  everything  about  the  Duchess?  I 
mean,  why  she  was  kept  shut  up  ?  Was  she  in 
prison  ?  "  She  let  her  work  fall  on  her  lap  and  looked 
at  me  steadily. 

"  They  don't  put  duchesses  in  prison  for  nearly 
twenty  years,  Celia,"  I  answered,  scarcely  knowing 
how  to  reply. 

"You  needn't  be  afraid  to  tell  me.  I  think  I  would 
rather  have  my  own  thought  confirmed.  Was  she  out 
of  her  mind?  " 

"  She  experienced  a  very  terrible  shock  at  the  time, 
and  was  kept  under  close  supervision." 

"  I  thought  so  ;  and  I  don't  know  whether  I  feared 
or  hoped  it,"  she  answered,  pensively.  "  If  there  had 
not  been  something  of  the  kind,  she  could  never  have 

behaved  to  me  as  she  did  this  morning.     I  wonder " 

She  paused. 

"Well?" 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION   139 

"  I  wonder  if  I  could  cure  her  ?  "  and  she  sighed.  "  I 
should  like  to  try.  I  have  been  very  unhappy  about 
it  all  day.  She  has  never  had  a  chance,  you  see,  of 
getting  cured.  To  be  shut  up  and  treated  as  a  lunatic 
for  nearly  twenty  years!  If  she  were  not  actually  in- 
sane, it  would  be  enough  to  make  her  so."  I  would 
not  encourage  her  to  think  about  the  subject  of  her 
mother's  madness,  and  made  no  reply ;  but  the  idea 
had  taken  a  strong  hold  upon  her. 

"  If  we  could  get  her  to  remain  quietly  in  England 
we  might  perhaps  cure  her." 

"  I  fear  it  is  hopeless,"  I  said,  hurriedly,  remembering 
what  I  had  heard  at  the  German  Embassy.  But  the 
words  troubled  Celia. 

"  Hopeless  ?  Why  hopeless  ?  There  is  no  hereditary 
insanity,  is  there  ?  If  so,  I  myself  should  have  to  fear 
it.  Have  you  thought  of  that?  That  would  be  ter- 
rible." A  servant  came  into  the  room  then,  sent  by 
Blossom  in  search  of  some  work  materials.  "  An  awful 
thought,"  exclaimed  Celia.  I  could  not  answer  until 
we  were  alone,  and  in  the  pause  Celia  sat  looking 
troubled  and  thoughtful. 

"There  is  no  fear  whatever  of  that  kind,"  I  replied,, 
speaking  very  emphatically.  "  Your  mother's  unhap- 
piness  when  she  was  married  to  the  Duke — she  was  not 
eighteen  at  the  time — led  to  all  the  trouble.  She  was 
most  unfortunately  allowed  to  take  opium,  and  in  this 
way  so  weakened  her  mental  powers  that  when  the 
shock  of  her  great  trouble  came,  they  gave  way.  That 
is  the  whole  story  of  her  insanity.  There  was  no 
hereditary  taint,  and  there  is  not  the  least  doubt  that 
if  she  had  had  proper  treatment  instead  of  the  long 
term  of  rigid  confinement,  she  would  have  recovered. 


i4o  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

But  she  was  more  driven  in  upon  herself  than  ever,  and 
brooding  and  the  nursing  of  passion  did  the  rest." 

"  But  isn't  my  brother  afflicted  in  the  same  way?  " 

"  No,  Celia.  It's  not  a  pretty  story,  but  you'd  better 
hear  it.  He  was  never  brilliant — I  mean,  he  was  a  very 
average  sort  of  lad  mentally,  and  physically  only  a 
weakling;  and  his  .ways  of  life  were  all  of  the  wrong 
kind.  He  was  kept  very  strictly  in  Crudenstadt,  but 
came  to  England  about  five  years  ago,  and  plunged  at 
once  into  a  life  of  shocking  dissipation  and  drank,  well, 
awfully.  The  consequences  upon  his  feeble  health 
may  be  judged,  and  the  end  was  constant  delirium. 
But  it  was  delirium  from  drink.  These  things  don't 
get  known  outside,  you  see,  and  hence  all  the  mistaken 
rumours.  The  public  are  always  left  to  guess  a  lot ; 
and  those  who  remembered  the  old  trouble  about  your 
mother,  and  then  heard  of  your  brother's  delirium,  put 
one  and  one  together  and  made  fifty.  I'm  glad  you 
asked  me." 

"  It  is  indeed  a  shocking  story,"  said  Celia,  thought- 
fully. "  I'm  not  a  bit  morbid,  Stanley,"  she  added, 
brightly,  "but  I  wished  to  know  the  truth.  I  should 
think  it  was  a  fortunate  thing  for  me  that  I  was  brought 
away  from  Crudenstadt  as  a  child,  and   that   it  would 

be  a "     She  paused,  and  with  a  glance  at  me  picked 

up  her  work. 

"  Shall  I  finish  the  sentence  for  you  ?  It  would  be 
unfortunate  if  you  ever  had  to  go  back."  She  didn't 
lift  her  eyes  from  her  work,  and  left  me  to  draw  my 
own  conclusions  as  to  whether  that  was  how  she  would 
have  finished  the  broken  sentence.  "And  that's  what 
I  mean,  Celia,  that  I'm  desperately  perplexed."  And 
I  got  up  and  walked  about  the  room. 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION  141 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  can  understand  how  much  harder  it 
is  for  you  to  know  what  to  do,"  she  said,  presently. 
"And  I  don't  quite  see  how  to  help  you.  You  must 
be  blamed,  whatever  happens,  and  I  admit  it's  hard  on 
you.  But  on  one  point  my  mind  is  absolutely  made 
up — absolutely." 

"  What's  that  ?  " 

"  I  shall  not  go  to  Crudenstadt — I  mean,  in  my 
official  capacity,"  and  she  gave  one  of  her  bright  laughs. 
"  I  would  go  there  if  I  thought  I  could  help  to  cure 
my  mother's  insanity  ;  but  that  means  she  would  have 
to  change  her  plans  entirely — if  those  are  really  her 
plans  she  announced  to  us  this  morning.  I  would  no 
more  dream  of  marrying  that  horrible  man  than  of 
marrying  Schwartz,  and  that's  not  probable,  although 
I  would  rather  marry  him  of  the  two." 

"  The  people  at  the  Embassy  are  ready  enough  to 
knock  the  bottom  out  of  the  marriage  scheme." 

"  But  I  don't  intend  to  trouble  the  people  of  the 
Embassy.  I  don't  wish  them  to  interfere  at  all.  I 
prefer  to  remain  a  private  and  quite  inconspicuous 
person,  with  no  ambition  or  intention  of  any  kind  to 
meddle  with  Saxe-Lippe  or  any  other  Duchy's  affairs. 
I  know  it's  hard  on  you,  I  say,  because  you  are  sure 
to  get  the  credit  of  having  induced  me  to  make  such 
a  decision.  I  am  very  sorry  for  you,  Stanley,  but  I'm 
afraid  it  can't  be  helped,"  and  she  laughed  merrily. 

"  You're  getting  to  be  a  very  wilful  ward,"  I  replied, 
smiling,  as  I  sat  down  by  her  again. 

"  Yes;  in  the  comedy,  I'm  a  regular  rebel." 

"  I  can  imagine  a  condition  of  things  in  which  that 
blame  you  speak  of  would  sit  very  lightly  on  me." 

"A   condition  of  things?"  she  repeated,  in    some 


i42  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

perplexity,  till  her  face  cleared,  two  little  spots  of 
colour  flashed  into  her  cheeks,  and  with  a  challenge  in 
her  smiling  eyes,  she  asked :  "  What  condition  of 
things?"  She  understood  me  and  had  to  lower  her 
eyes. 

"  I  was  thinking  about  it  to-day,  and  I  believe  Count 
Bursten  half  guessed  my  thought.  I  asked  him  very 
pointedly  whether  it  was  certain  that  you  would  be 
acknowledged  in  Crudenstadt  and  he  was  answering 
me  with  diplomatic  caution,  when  he  suddenly  grew 
very  earnest  and  declared  that  it  would  be  in  the  high- 
est degree  impolitic  for  you  or  me  to  take  any  step  ex- 
cept on  the  assumption  that  the  recognition  was  cer- 
tain." 

"  What  step  could  he  mean  ?  "  asked  Celia,  in  a  very 
innocent  tone,  but  not  venturing  to  look  up. 

"  The  thought  of  it  has  been  dizzying  my  wits  with 
its  temptation  and  perplexities  ever  since.  Do  you 
think  you  would  dare  to  take  it,  Celia  ? "  My  voice 
dropped  to  a  whisper,  as  I  watched  her  profile  bent 
over  her  work.     She  gave  a  little  start. 

"  Oh,  here  is  a  tangle  !  "  she  cried  then.  "  See,  here 
is  my  silk  twisted  itself  up  all  round  my  ring.  Can 
you  undo  it  or  cut  it?  "  and  she  held  out  her  left  hand 
as  if  in  trouble. 

"  Yes,  very  easily,"  I  answered  ;  and  I  captured  the 
hand  and  held  it  while  I  cleared  away  the  tangled 
skein.  "  I  have  done  it,  Celia,  look  up."  But  she 
would  not.  "  Are  you  willing  to  take  that  step  ? 
Dare  we  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  rebel  only  in  the  comedy,"  she  murmured, 
with  such  a  happy  low  laugh. 

"  This  is  earnest,  not  comedy,"  I  said. 


THE  SHADOW  OF  A  NEW  DECISION   143 

For  a  moment  she  hung  her  head,  then  laughed 
again  ;  glanced  up  into  my  eyes,  her  own  radiant  with 
the  light  I  loved  to  read  there  and  cried  : 

"  A  ward  must  not  disobey  her  guardian  in  ear- 
nest ;  "  and  she  hid  her  face  against  my  shoulder.  And 
after  that  there  was  no  more  talk  of  work  or  of  any- 
thing except  the  new  and  fateful  decision  we  had 
taken. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ALMOST  THE  MARRIAGE  EVE 

ALTHOUGH  the  decision  was  taken  and  neither  Celia 
nor  I  had  a  thought  of  shirking  it,  we*  both  had  our 
qualms  of  doubt  and  moments  of  uneasiness.  But  in 
each  the  cause  was  different. 

Celia  had  no  doubt  whatever  about  the  decision 
being  wholly  right  and  justifiable,  and  she  laughed  to 
scorn  the  thought  that  she  ought  to  sacrifice  her  hap- 
piness for  what  with  wanton  irreverence  she  dubbed 
the  empty  fripperies  of  a  small  German  Court ;  but 
she  was  anxious  lest  something  could  be  done  to 
punish  me  and  separate  us. 

On  my  side  I  was  not  so  certain  that  the  decision 
was  right.  I  could  not  wholly  stifle  the  feeling  that  I 
was  sacrificing  Celia's  future  to  my  own  happiness ; 
that  my  duty  was  to  have  made  sure  she  quite  realised 
what  it  was  she  was  renouncing;  and  that,  although  in 
the  end  her  decision  would  be  guided  by  her  love,  I 
was  hurrying  her.  And  I  was  also  uneasy  about  pos- 
sible pains  and  penalties  to  her. 

"  What  can  they  do  to  us,  Stanley  ?  "  she  asked  once 
with  a  half  whimsical,  half  anxious  smile.  "  Can  they 
do  anything  ?  And  who  are  the  '  they '  we  talk 
about  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  '  they '  are  the  Duke  and  his  advisers  in 
Crudenstadt ;  but  I  don't  know  what  they  can  do.  I 
144 


ALMOST  THE  MARRIAGE  EVE         145 

don't  think  they  can  do  anything.  They  certainly 
can't  hurt  me.  I'm  a  British  subject ;  and  a  small 
German  Principality  is  not  very  likely  to  claim  the 
legal  power  to  interfere  in  the  marriages  of  English- 
men. So  you  needn't  worry  about  me.  It's  about 
you  I'm  anxious." 

"  But  I  don't  care  a  jot  about  that." 

"  Frankly,  I  don't  see  how  they  could  touch  you. 
They  might,  if  we  were  to  go  to  Crudenstadt  ;  but 
that's  just  where  we  shan't  go.  And  even  if  we  were 
to  accept  the  theory  that  you're  a  subject  of  Saxe- 
Lippe  and  not  English,  it's  not  an  extradition  crime 
for  a  German  girl  to  marry  an  Englishman." 

"  Not  even  an  English  baronet,  I  suppose,"  she  cried, 
laughing. 

"  Even  supposing  they  were  to  declare  the  marriage 
morganatic,  I  can't  see  that  that  would  hurt  us.  It 
won't  unmarry  us  in  England,  and  as  for  Saxe-Lippe, 
it  doesn't  count  for  much.  I'm  half  inclined  to  think 
indeed  that  our  marriage  will  tie  things  up  in  such  a 
ghastly  tangle  they  won't  be  able  to  do  anything  at 
all." 

"  I  think  I  rather  like  the  position.  We've  always 
had  such  a  lot  of  difficulties  and  obstacles  put  in  our 
way  that  just  a  commonplace  marriage  might  seem 
quite  an  anti-climax  in  a  way.  But  this  laughing  at 
authority  is  like  old  times ;  and  the  notion  of  all  those 
solemn  old  bigwigs  scratching  their  heads  and  puzzling 
their  brains  over  the  problem  of  the  marriage  of  us 
two  rebels  is  just  delightful." 

"  Yes,  but  it   isn't   that  part   of  the  business  which 

worries  me  so  much.     When  I  think  of  all  that  you  are 

giving  up  just  to.  .  .  ." 
10 


146  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Yes,  it  is  rather  serious,  isn't  it  ?  "  she  interposed, 
quickly.  "  When  we  think  what  a  happy  life  I  might 
lead  with  such  a  delightful  husband  as  that  Count  von 
Kronheim  or  some  other  abomination  of  the  kind,  a 
little  better  or  worse,  and  then  consider  what  a — what 
shall  I  call  you,  Stanley  ? — what  a  horrid  Blue  Beard 
you  will  be,  how  can  I  be  anything  but  sad  and 
wretched  ?  I  really  don't  think  I  should  have  courage 
to  do  it  if  there  weren't  a  remedy  always  at  hand." 

"  Remedy  ?  " 

"  Of  course  ;  ready  made  ;  you  suggested  it  just  now.. 
When  I  get  tired  of  your  brutality  I  shall  only  have  to 
go  to  Crudenstadt,  acquiesce  in  the  morganatic  busi- 
ness, and  be  unhappy  ever  afterwards." 

"  But  I  am  serious,"  I  said. 

"  And  so  should  I  soon  be,  I  expect ;  "  and  in  this 
way  she  laughed  my  doubts  to  the  winds,  and  in  doing 
so  always  managed  to  convey  a  little  tender  assurance 
that  under  no  conceivable  circumstances  could  she  re- 
gret the  decision  to  give  up  the  Crudenstadt  possibili- 
ties, and  that  her  choice  was  unalterably  made. 

"  But  I  have  one  little  scheme  I  haven't  told  you, 
Stanley,"  she  said  once.  "  I  haven't  given  up  the  hope 
of  being  reconciled  to  my  mother  and  of  trying  to  make 
her  life  happier.  I  can't  do  it  in  her  way,  but  I  shall 
try  in  my  own." 

"  Don't  build  too  much  on  the  hope.  She  will 
scarcely  be  brought  to  forgive  you  for  marrying  me  in 
defiance  of  her." 

"  I  shall  try,  and  try  hard.  What  I  should  like  to 
do  would  be  to  get  her  to  come  to  us  when  we  come 
home  again.     How  long  shall  we  be  away?  " 

"  I  propose  to  stop  away  until  the  whole  of  this 


ALMOST  THE  MARRIAGE  EVE        147 

Crudenstadt  business  has  blown  over.  Nothing  ties 
either  of  us  to  London  or  England  or  even  Europe  ; 
and  six  months  or  a  year  spent  in  rambling  about  the 
world  can  be  put  in  very  enjoyably,  don't  you  think  ?  " 

"  Lovely,  Stanley,"  she  exclaimed  enthusiastically. 
"  And  when  we  come  back  and  all  this  nonsense  about 
Saxe-Lippe  is  done  with,  we  can  get  her  to  us." 

"  We  shall  see."  I  was  not  enthusiastic,  remember- 
ing Count  Bursten's  phrase  about  the  Duchess's  "  homi- 
cidal mania."  "  We  shall  have  plenty  of  time  to  plan 
all  that  and  a  lot  more  when  we  are  once  away.  But 
we've  something  to  do  first  ;  "  and  in  truth  there  was 
a  technical  point  in  connection  with  the  marriage 
formalities  which  was  threatening  to  cause  some  trouble. 

Celia  was  not  of  age  ;  and  although  as  my  uncle's 
successor  I  called  myself  her  guardian,  I  had  no  legal 
status  in  that  character,  and  the  question,  not  lacking 
in  humour  as  well  as  perplexity,  was  whether  I  could 
give  a  valid  consent  to  my  own  marriage  with  her. 
The  difficulty  was  not  insuperable,  but  before  it  could 
be  overcome  some  delay  might  be  inevitable ;  and  this 
made  me  somewhat  anxious. 

Every  hour  of  delay  was  so  much  gained  to  Celia's 
mother  and  those  who  were  acting  with  her.  Fortu- 
nately their  machinations  had  received  a  serious  check 
by  the  interposition  of  the  German  Embassy,  and  they 
could  not  take  any  open  step  without  drawing  down 
on  them  those  attentions  from  the  Embassy  which 
they  were  particularly  desirous  to  avoid.  That  they 
could  do  any  harm  without  open  steps  was  not  in  the 
least  probable  ;  for  we  were  all  on  the  alert  for  any- 
thing that  threatened  danger.     But  the  delay  chafed  us. 

Moreover,  there  was  the  probable  action  of  the  Ger- 


148  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

man  Embassy  toward  us  to  be  considered.  They  were 
pushing  forward  the  negotiations  for  the  official  ac- 
knowledgment of  Celia  as  the  Duke's  daughter ;  and 
if  that  was  conveyed  to  me  before  the  marriage,  it 
could  not  but  tend  to  embarrass  my  position.  Delay 
was  even  more  dangerous  in  this  respect  than  in  that 
of  von  Kronheim. 

All  the  preparations  for  the  wedding  were  pushed 
forward  vigorously ;  my  own  private  affairs  were  put 
on  a  footing  which  would  allow  me  to  be  away  from 
England  for  one  or  even  two  years  if  necessary,  while 
Blossom  and  Celia  were  hard  at  work  to  get  such  trous- 
seau ready  as  was  requisite.  This  was  not  to  be  a  very 
large  matter,  but  it  was  the  more  difficult  because  of 
the  great  secrecy  which  I  considered  essential. 

Unfortunately,  despite  our  care  something  of  what 
was  going  on  got  to  the  ears  of  the  Duchess  Marie,  and 
a  regular  storm  of  protests  came  dinging  about  my 
ears.  Happily  this  did  not  occur  until  my  difficulty 
in  regard  to  the  other  matter  had  been  overcome ;  and 
I  was  laughing  and  chatting  with  Blossom  and  Celia, 
having  just  told  them  the  good  news  and  that  the  wed- 
ding would  take  place  on  the  following  Monday — this 
was  the  Friday — when  a  bomb  fell  in  our  midst  in  the 
shape  of  a  wildly  indignant  letter  of  most  vehement 
protest  against  the  marriage,  from  Celia's  mother. 

It  was  followed  by  a  visit  on  the  following  day  ;  and 
a  very  stormy  interview  it  was.  I  would  not  let  her 
see  Celia,  and  in  the  end  she  had  to  leave,  having  done 
no  more  than  to  threaten  to  do  Heaven  alone  knew 
what  to  stop  the  marriage. 

We  held  a  council  of  war  promptly  and  decided,  of 
course,  to  disregard  the  protest  altogether.     But  the 


ALMOST  THE  MARRIAGE  EVE         149 

Duchess,  and  those  with  her  were  full  of  fight ;  and 
having  failed  herself  to  stop  me,  she  caused  a  letter  to 
be  written  to  the  German  Ambassador,  telling  him  of 
the  intended  marriage  ;  and  he  sent  Count  Bursten  post 
haste  to  interrogate  me  and  get  at  the  truth. 

I  received  him  courteously,  of  course,  and  he  put  the 
letter  into  my  hands.     It  was  anonymous,  I  saw. 

"  Of  course  this  cannot  be  true,"  he  said,  after  he 
had  shown  it  to  me,  "  but  I  thought  it  best  to  come 
here  to  give  you  an  opportunity  of  denying  it." 

"  I  do  not  attach  any  importance  to  anonymous  let- 
ters," said  I. 

"  No,  no,  Sir  Stanley,  of  course  not,  nor  do  I.  I 
have  your  word,  then,  that  you  do  not  propose  to  do 
anything  of  the  kind?  Of  course,  you  know  that  such 
a  marriage  would  be  a  flagrant  breach  of  all  precedent 
and  would  be  instantly  annulled." 

"  I  do  not  wish  even  to  discuss  the  consequences  of 
such  a  marriage.  But  if  I  had  resolved  upon  it,  believe 
me,  such  a  thought  would  not  have  the  slightest  effect 
in  deterring  me." 

"  But  you  see  the  impossibility  of  such  a  thing?  " 

"  Frankly  I  do  not,"  said  I,  with  a  smile. 

"  But,  my  dear  Sir  Stanley,  you  told  me  the  other 
day  that  you  were  quite  aware  of  it,  and  in  consequence 
had  broken  off  the  engagement  which  had  been  made 
in  ignorance  of  the  facts." 

"  Yes,  that  was  so,"  I  replied,  blandly.  "  But  I  un- 
derstood from  you  that  there  was  little  prospect  of  Celia 
being  recognised  by  her  father,  the  Duke,  as  his  suc- 
cessor. Her  mother  has  an  insane  intention  of  marry- 
ing her  to  a  scoundrelly  pretender,  so  that  she  may  be 
the  centre   of  a  tumult  causing  Heaven   only  knows 


150  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

what  ferment  and  trouble  in  the  Duchy.  Her  father 
will  have  nothing  at  all  to  say  to  her.  What,  then,  is 
Celia's  own  position,  and  where  the  bar  to  her  choos- 
ing her  own  line  of  action  ?  " 

"  Then  you  do  propose  to  marry  her?  " 

"  I  say  neither  'Yes'  nor  '  No'  to  that  question.  I 
simply  claim  the  right  of  freedom  of  action  both  for 
her  and  myself." 

"  This  is  very  serious,"  he  said,  biting  his  lip.  "  Very 
serious  indeed.     Can  I  see  the  young  Duchess?" 

"  Certainly.     I  will  fetch  her." 

I  went  in  search  of  Celia,  and  in  a  few  words  told  her 
the  position  of  matters  and  the  line  she  had  better 
adopt — refuse  to  say  "  Yes  "  or  "  No  "  as  to  what  she 
meant  to  do. 

He  made  a  very  profound  bow  when  I  led  Celia  into 
the  room  and  declared  that  it  gave  him  at  once  pleas- 
ure to  see  her  and  regret  to  have  to  come  on  such  an 
errand,  and  then  looked  at  me  as  if  expecting  me  to 
retire. 

"You  wish  to  see  Celia  alone?  I  have  not  the  re- 
motest objection.  Of  course,  I  have  explained  the 
object  of  the  interview,  and  she  is  quite  wiliing  to  hear 
all  the  argument  and  persuasion  you  would  wish  to  use, 
but  any  attempt  at  intimidation  will  be  the  signal  for 
her  to  leave  the  room,"  and  I  went  away  feeling  per- 
fectly certain  that  he  might  argue  for  hours  without 
producing  the  least  effect. 

It  was  fully  an  hour  before  I  was  called  into  the 
room,  and  I  found  that  he  had  made  no  progress  what- 
ever.    But  he  took  his  defeat  with  a  smile  of  diplomacy. 

"  You  have  an  apt  pupil  in  the  art  of  non-committal 
replies,  Sir  Stanley,  but,  of  course,  I  can  only  conclude 


ALMOST  THE  MARRIAGE  EVE         151 

from  the  fact  of  your  not  denying  the  intention,  that 
you  have  decided  upon  this  most  rash  act." 

I  bowed  and  said  not  a  word. 

"  I  do  not  think  you  realise  the  full  gravity  of  the 
step.  You  will  incur,  not  only  the  anger  of  those  at 
Crudenstadt  who  are  interested  in  the  matter,  but  also 
the  grave  displeasure  of  the  Imperial  authorities  at 
Berlin." 

"  I  am  an  Englishman,"  said  I. 

"  You  have  not  even  the  consent  of  either  of  the 
young  Duchess's  parents,  and  such  a  thing  will  invali- 
date the  marriage." 

"  In  Germany  perhaps  it  would,"  I  corrected. 

"  It  must  be,  of  course,  my  business  to  make  every 
protest  to  the  authorities  in  this  country,  and  to  ex- 
haust every  means  at  my  command  to  prevent  you." 

"  I  do  not  dream  of  interfering  with  your  fullest 
liberty  of  action." 

"  And  I  would  appeal  to  you  earnestly  not  to  take  a 
step  precipitately  which  may  involve  you  both  and  so 
many  others  in  consequences  of  a  most  far-reaching, 
painful,  and  probably  dangerous  character." 

"  I  will  consider  the  appeal  in  the  same  earnest 
spirit  in  which  it  is  made.     I  can  say  no  more,  since  I 

have    said    nothing    as    to  what  my   real    intentions 

>> 
are. 

"  Will  you  promise  me  to  do  nothing,  say,  at  least, 
for  a  week,  until  I  can  communicate  with  Crudenstadt 
and  Berlin  ?  " 

"  If  I  had  such  an  intention  as  you  credit  me  with 
I  should  be  foolish  to  give  you  further  time  for  in- 
tervening, Count,"  and  at  this  answer  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  threw  up  his  hands. 


152  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  There  will  inevitably  be  a  heavy  day  of  reckoning. 
It  is  a  mad  thing,  stark  staring  mad  thing,  that  you  are 
doing." 

At  that  I  rose  to  end  the  interview. 

"  There  is  nothing  more  to  be  said,"    and  I  bowed. 

"  Only  one  word  as  to  our  last  interview,"  he  replied, 
rising  also.  "  I  am  already  in  communication  indirectly 
with  Crudenstadt  as  to  the  recognition  of  the  young 
Duchess's  rights,  and  I  have  not  succeeded  yet  in  find- 
ing the  whereabouts  of  the  Duchess  Marie  or  the  Count 
von  Kronheim." 

"  I  am  perfectly  aware  of  that  ;  but  I  think  I  shall  be 
able  to  help  you,"  I  said,  and  with  a  few  more  merely 
formal  words  he  took  his  departure,  baffled  and  dis- 
comfited, but  suave. 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone  I  turned  with  a  smile  to  Celia, 
but  she  was  looking  a  little  scared. 

"  We're  keeping  your  conditions  about  difficulties 
with  us  to  the  end,  Celia." 

"  He  told  me  he  could  make  it  impossible  for  the 
marriage  to  take  place,  that  I  was  not  of  age,  and  he 
threatened  all  sorts  of  things.     Can  they  stop  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  like  to  say  no,  definitely ;  but  as  you  and  I 
are  now  absolutely  resolved,  they  will  have  a  very 
heavy  task.  If  they  succeed  in  stopping  it  here,  I'll 
carry  you  off  to  America  and  marry  you  there.  A  hue 
and  cry  across  the  Atlantic  would  be  a  spirited  wind-up 
to  the  fun  of  the  comedy." 

"  I  think  the  fun  is  getting  quite  furious  enough  as 
it  is,"  she  said.  "  Count  Bursten  is  so  polite  that  he 
almost  frightens  me.  He  suggests  so  much  reserve 
power." 

"  The  power  is  not  in  operation  or  in  reserve  either 


ALMOST  THE  MARRIAGE  EVE        153 

that  shall  stop  me  making  you  my  wife  the  day  after 
to-morrow,  Celia,"  I  cried  resolutely  ;  and  she  soon 
banished  her  passing  apprehension. 

We  both  had  a  very  busy  day  and  a  delightful  eve- 
ning and  were  in  the  highest  spirits. 

"  Only  one  full  day  more,  Celia  ! "  I  whispered 
when  bidding  her  good  night.  "  Only  one  full  day 
more,  and  then " 

She  blushed,  laughed  joyously  and  looked  at  me  with 
love  brightening  every  feature,  as  she  broke  out  of  my 
arms  and  ran  away  up-stairs. 

"  Only  one  full  day  more,"  I  repeated  to  myself, 
glad  indeed  that  the  suspense  would  so  soon  be  over  ; 
for,  in  truth,  I  was  not  a  little  troubled  at  the  thought  of 
what  the  embassy  might  yet  do  to  stop  us  ;  and  I  wished 
with  all  my  heart  the  marriage  had  been  even  hurried 
on  faster.  But  in  forty-eight  hours  at  most  we  should 
be  man  ancl  wife,  and  well  away  on  our  long  journey. 
And  that  was  my  last  thought  as  I  went  to  bed  an 
hour  or  so  later. 

But  I  little  knew  what  was  to  happen  that  night  while 
I  was  sleeping  like  a  happy  fool,  confident  of  my  coming 
happiness.  I  did  not  learn  it  till  the  early  morning, 
indeed,  when  I  was  awakened  by  a  loud  clatter  at  my 
door,  and  opening  it  found  my  sister  there,  her  face 
white  to  the  lips  with  alarm. 

"  Celia  is  not  in  her  room,  Stanley,  and  not  in  the 
house  !  "  she  cried,  excitedly.     "  What  does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  house  ?  "  I  exclaimed.     "  She  must  be." 

"  Come  and  see,"  and  Blossom  turned  and  ran  back 
to  Celia's  room. 

In  a  minute  I  had  flung  on  some  clothes,  and,  half- 
crazed  at  the  news,  I  followed  her. 


154  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  I  go  into  her  bed  sometimes  early  in  the  morning," 
said  Blossom,  in  whose  eyes  the  tears  were  now  stand- 
ing, "  and  I  went  to  her  room  this  morning  and  it  was 
empty.  I  have  searched  everywhere  and  cannot  find 
a  trace  of  her.  And  see,  there  has  been  some  sort  of 
struggle,  and  the  bed  is  cold  and  has  not  been  lain  in 
for  hours.     Stanley,  what  can  it  mean  ?  " 

And  she  stared  in  blank  dismay  into  my  face,  which 
was  to  the  full  as  white  and  troubled  as  her  own. 


CHAPTER     XV 

GONE 

WITH  a  strenuous  effort,  I  pulled  myself  together 
to  face  the  most  unexpected  and  critical  development. 

"  When  did  you  find  this  out,  Blossom  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Only  a  few  minutes  before  I  rushed  to  give  you 
the  alarm." 

It  was  then  just  six  o'clock.  I  had  bade  Celia  good- 
night at  eleven — seven  hours  in  which  the  mysterious 
disappearance  or  abduction  had  taken  place. 

"  Did  you  go  to  Celia's  room  last  night  ?  " 

"  For  a  few  minutes  only  ;  directly  we  came  up-stairs." 

"  Run  and  dress  at  once,"  I  said,  and  I  hurried  back 
to  my  room.  As  I  was  dressing  quickly,  I  summoned 
my  servant,  Wilson,  and  questioned  him  as  to  the 
time  the  servants  had  gone  to  bed.  He  told  me  he  had 
remained  up  until  the  last  in  case  I  should  need  him, 
and  had  gone  to  bed  at  one  o'clock. 

"  Did  you  notice  anything  unusual  in  the  house  ?" 

**  No,  sir.  It  was  all  dead  quiet.  I  went  round  the 
last  thing  to  see  that  all  doors  and  windows  were  closed 
for  the  alarm  to  be  set  on,  sir,  according  to  your  orders. 
Everything  was  in  order." 

"  Go  and  call  Schwartz,  and  wait  with  him  till  he 
comes  to  me,"  I  said.  I  had  forgotten  about  the  alarm 
until  Wilson  had  mentioned  it  ;  but  I  had  switched  it 
on  as  usual,  and  it  was  still  on.     If  it  had   fulfilled  its 

155; 


156  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

purpose,  no  door  or  window  could  have  been  opened  to 
let  anyone  out  without  raising  a  deafening  noise.  That 
meant  that  Gelia  must  still  be  somewhere  in  the  house  ; 
and  for  an  instant  I  hoped  we'had  frightened  ourselves 
needlessly. 

But  a  minute  later  Wilson  came  back  to  say  that 
Schwartz  was  not  in  his  room,  and  that  apparently  his 
bed  had  not  been  slept  in. 

"  Go  round  the  house,  and  see  if  any  of  the  outer 
doors  or  windows  are  open,  and  let  me  know.  Be 
quick." 

Schwartz  gone !  I  knew  what  this  might  mean,  and 
bitterly  repented  having  allowed  him  to  remain  in  the 
house  at  all  after  his  treachery  that  morning  when  I 
was  at  the  German  Ambassy.  I  was  thus  prepared  for 
Wilson's  report  when  he  came  hurrying  back,  just  as  I 
had  finished  dressing,  to  say  that  the  window  of  a 
lumber-room  opening  on  to  the  roof  was  unlatched  and 
slightly  open. 

I  went  up  with  him  to  see  it  for  myself,  and  needed 
little  more  evidence  to  understand  something  of  what 
had  taken  place.  The  window  was  sufficiently  open 
to  have  caused  the  alarm  to  ring  had  everything  been 
in  order;  but  a  minute's  examination  showed  me 
where  the  wires  had  been  cut  and  the  alarm  rendered 
useless. 

"  I  am  going  to  get  into  the  next  house,  Wilson.  Go 
down  at  once  and  watch  the  front  of  it  until  you  see 
me,  and  get  Miss  Flora  to  watch  at  the  back.  Quick 
as  you  can,  man ! "  I  cried,  as  I  scrambled  out  on  to 
the  leads; 

The  place  might  have  been  made  for  such  a  business. 
There  was  a  broad  gutter  running  in  front  of  the  win- 


GONE  157 

dow,  and  between  my  house  and  the  next  there  was 
merely  a  low  brickwork  division,  over  which  I  could 
step  without  the  least  difficulty.  It  would  have  been 
the  easiest  matter  in  the  world  for  even  one  man  to 
have  carried  a  heavier  burden  than  Celia  from  one 
window  to  the  other. 

The  window  of  the  next  house  was  closed  and  fast- 
ened, but  I  broke  a  pane  of  glass  and  thrust  back  the 
catch  and  got  into  the  room.  It  was  without  furni- 
ture of  any  kind,  and  I  crossed  it,  and  went  out  on  to 
the  landing  and  listened.  The  whole  house  appeared 
uninhabited.  I  ran  downstairs,  looking  into  all  the 
rooms  as  I  passed,  and  found  it  empty  from  garret  to 
cellar.  It  had  been  used  merely  as  a  safe  hiding-place 
for  the  spies,  and  as  a  means  of  getting  Celia  quickly 
away  from  my  house,  supposing  her  to  have  been  car- 
ried off,  as  I  believed. 

"What  can  it  mean,  Stanley?"  asked  my  sister, 
still  very  pale  and  agitated,  as  she  came  with  me  to 
my  study. 

11  That  I  have  been  a  blind  fool  and  ought  to  be  shot 
for  my  carelessness,"  I  exclaimed,  bitterly  reproaching 
myself. 

"  But  where  has  Celia  gone,  and  why?" 

"  There  is  one  probable,  one  possible,  and  one  im- 
possible reason.  The  impossible  is  that  she  can  have 
gone  away  of  her  own  accord  ;  the  possible,  that  the 
German  Ambassador  has  sent  his  agents  to  stop  our 
marriage  in  this  way ;  and  the  probable,  that  by  the 
treachery  of  the  man  Schwartz,  she  has  been  taken 
away  from  us  and  placed  in  the  care  of  her  mother,  the 
Duchess." 

"  But  how  ?  " 


158  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  My  dear  girl,  how  can  I  know  that  ?  "  I  said,  im- 
patiently. "  That  scoundrel  Schwartz,  may  have  had, 
and  most  probably  had,  someone  in  league  with  him, 
someone  in  the  pay  of  the  Duchess  or  von  Kronheim 
— a  woman,  as  likely  as  not — and  he  may  have  let  her 
into  the  house  last  night,  and  together  they  may  have 
drugged  Celia  and  got  her  away  in  that  fashion.  Good 
heavens!  I  feel  like  a  madman  when  I  think  of  it. 
But  I'll  find  her  and  punish  them,  if  I  use  up  my  life 
in  the  effort.  It's  no  use  sitting  here  and  uttering 
empty  threats,  however.  I  must  do  something, 
though  heaven  alone  knows  what !  "  I  cried,  in  despair. 

"  Let  me  help,"  said  my  sister,  eagerly. 

"Yes,  you  shall  help  if  we  can  only  find  the  means. 
But  where  are  we  to  look?"  and  I  tugged  at  my  mous- 
tache viciously. 

"  You  must  have  some  breakfast  first,"  said  Blossom, 
practically ;  and  she  went  away  to  give  the  order,  re- 
gardless of  my  protests  that  I  could  not  think  of  food 
at  such  a  time. 

By  this  time  the  whole  household  had  learnt  the 
strange  news,  and  I  had  the  servants  in  one  at  a  time 
to  question  them  and  to  enjoin  upon  them  the  great- 
est secrecy.  They  had  nothing  to  tell  me  that  was  of 
the  least  consequence.  How  should  they  ?  If  I,  to  whom 
Celia's  safety  was  as  dear  as  my  life,  had  slept  through 
the  hours  of  her  peril  like  a  dull-witted  fool,  how 
should  their  blunter  instincts  have  been  awake  to  the 
danger?  And  if  I  had  no  thought  where  to  look  for 
a  clue  to  the  mystery,  how  was  it  possible  they  would 
have  ? 

In  truth,  for  a  time  1  did  not  know  what  course  to 
adopt,  what  steps  to  take,  scarcely  what  to  think.  The 


GONE  159 

one  burning  fear  of  the  possible  consequences  to  Celia, 
had  she  really  fallen  into  the  clutches  of  that  mad 
Duchess,  scorched  up  all  other  considerations,  and  for 
the  time  seemed  to  deaden  even  my  power  to  act, 
despite  my  desire  to  be  at  work. 

If  Celia  should  continue  to  resist  her  mother's 
wishes,  as  I  knew  she  would,  of  course  it  was  impossible 
to  tell  to  what  lengths  the  Duchess's  mania  might  not 
impel  her.  I  remembered  Count  Bursten's  warning 
and  words,  and  shuddered  at  the  fears  they  raised. 
Yet  how  was  I  to  set  about  the  work  of  tracing  her  ? 

I  thought  first  of  the  police ;  but  I  could  not  go  to 
them.  Their  first  questions  would  reveal  the  doubt  as 
to  my  right  to  keep  Celia  away  from  her  mother's  con- 
trol; there  would  be  inquiries,  processes,  who  could 
tell  what ;  and  in  the  end  nothing  would  be  done. 

I  did  not  think  highly  of  private  inquiry  agents,  but 
such  as  they  were,  I  must  use  them,  and,  as  soon  as  I 
had  settled  upon  this  course,  I  drove  to  a  man  named 
Pollock,  whose  reputation  stood  highest  in  London, 
and  laid  the  case  before  him.  He  listened  attentively, 
asked  many  questions,  complained  that  so  much  time 
had  been  lost,  and  then  with  one  of  his  sharpest  assist- 
ants drove  back  to  Cromwell-road  with  me  to  examine 
the  house  and  commence  investigations. 

"  I  think  we  can  soon  solve  the  problem,"  he  said, 
sanguinely.  "  We  know  whom  to  look  for,  and  I  shall 
expect  to  have  something  to  report,  at  most,  in  a 
couple  of  days,"  and  with  that  I  left  him  at  the  house 
while  I  drove  to  the  German  Embassy  to  tell  the  news 
there.  In  making  the  visit  I  had  a  double  purpose — 
to  let  Count  Bursten  know  what  had  occurred,  and  to 
ascertain  whether  his  agents  could  have  had  any  hand 


160  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

in  it.  I  did  not  think  so,  but  I  kept  the  possibility  in 
my  thoughts. 

He  met  me  courteously,  but  manifestly  on  a  footing 
of  semi-hostility,  and  he  sounded  his  note  in  the  first 
sentence. 

"  I  hope  you  have  come  to  say  that  you  have  aban- 
doned this  projected  marriage,  but  I  must  tell  you 
before  you  speak  that  I  have,  on  my  part,  taken  active 
and  vigorous  steps  to  prevent  it." 

"  What  steps  ?  "  I  asked,  quickly,  with  a  flash  of 
suspicion  that  after  all  he  knew  something  of  Celia's 
disappearance. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  say  more  than  that  they  are 
such  steps  as  I  considered  would  be  effectual,"  he  replied, 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand. 

"  I  bring  grave  news.  Do  you  know  what  has  hap- 
pened ?  "  and  I  watched  him  closely. 

"  I  can  have  no  idea  of  your  meaning." 

"  Do  you  know  the  whereabouts  of  the  Duchess  or 
of  that  villain,  von  Kronheim  ?  "  I  could  not  keep  the 
anger  out  of  my  voice. 

"  I  told  you  yesterday  that  I  did  not.  I  have  learnt 
nothing  since." 

"  The  worst  has  happened.  Celia  has  been  carried 
from  my  house,  and,  I  fear,  has  fallen  into  their 
hands,''  I  said,  bluntly.  He  did  not  appear  aston- 
ished, but  first  looked  at  me  intently  and  then  fell 
into  thought. 

"  That  is  a  very  singular  coincidence,"  he  said  at 
length,  drily. 

"  Coincidence  ?     Why  coincidence  ?  " 

"  That  she  should  disappear  on  the  very  eve  of  the 
marriage  which  I  had  warned  you  should  be  prevented," 


GONE  161 

he  returned,  with  the  same  dry  significance.  "  Will 
you  tell  me  the  circumstances?" 

"  I  am  here  for  that  purpose,"  and  I  told  him  the 
facts  so  far  as  I  knew  them.  He  listened  without  in- 
terrupting me,  and  was  apparently  weighing  carefully 
every  word  I  spoke. 

"  A  very  extraordinary  thing  to  occur  in  London  in 
these  times,"  he  said,  and  I  began  to  catch  his  mean- 
ing. "  It  seems  to  have  been  very  shrewdly  planned 
and  very  daringly  carried  out.  But  it  is  a  very  dan- 
gerous step  to  have  taken,  Sir  Stanley.  Young  ladies 
of  reigning  Ducal  houses  cannot  be  spirited  away  with 
impunity." 

"  So  these  people  shall  find,"  said  I.  "  But  I  think 
you  had  better  speak  plainly." 

"Your  theory  is  that  the  Duchess  and  Count  von 
Kronheim  have  done  this  ?  "  he  asked,  looking  keenly 
at  me  the  while. 

"  With  the  connivance  of  the  man  Schwartz,  who 
has  also  disappeared." 

"He  appears  to  have  a  knack  of  disappearing.  Last 
time  it  was  from  your  carriage,  when  I  was  to  have  in- 
terrogated him." 

"  You  think  I  have  had  a  hand  in  doing  this?  " 

"  You  have  been  in  the  habit,  I  think,  of  saying 
where  the  Duchess  Celia  should  go." 

"  We  shall  only  play  at  cross-purposes,  if  you  per- 
sist in  this  belief.  I  know  no  more  than  I  have 
told  you.  Indeed,  I  came  here  with  half  a  thought 
that  you  yourself  might  have  had  some  knowledge 
of  it." 

"  We  do  not  keep  kidnappers  at  the  Embassy,  Sir 

Stanley,"  he  answered,  with  evident  anger. 
zx 


162  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Yet  you  do  not  hesitate  to  suggest  that  I  am  one," 
I  retorted. 

"  I  have  made  no  such  suggestion." 

"  Your  words,  your  manner,  your  looks,  what  are 
they  but  a  suggestion  or  insinuation  ?  " 

"  You  have  made  up  your  mind  to  marry  the  Duchess 
Celia  in  spite  of  my  protests.  You  would  not  admit 
to  me  that  was  the  case,  but  put  me  off  with  equivoca- 
tions and  generalities.  I  warned  you  that  the  marriage 
was  impossible  and  that  I  should  take  every  means  in 
my  power  to  prevent  it ;  and  at  the  moment  when  I 
am  commencing  to  do  so,  she  is  spirited  away.  I  do 
not  say  that  you  have  kidnapped  her,  that  would  be 
an  insulting  and  quite  needless  charge  ;  but  I  cannot 
see  that  since  you  were  so  bent  upon  this  marriage  it 
would  be  at  all  an  unlikely  step  for  you  to  remove  her 
secretly  from  London.  If  that  suggestion,  which  is 
very  different  from  anything  of  the  nature  of  kidnap- 
ping, is  distasteful  to  you,  really  you  have  only  your- 
self to  blame." 

"  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour,  Count  Burstcn, 
that  I  know  nothing  whatever  of  this  unfortunate  mat- 
ter, more  than  I  have  told  you.  I  give  it  you  without 
qualification  or  reservation  of  any  kind.  Of  course,  if 
you  cannot  accept  that,  there  is  an  end  of  all  matters 
between  us,"  and  I  rose. 

He  paused  a  moment  before  replying,  but  then  said, 
frankly :  "  I  accept  it,  of  course  ;  and,  frankly,  I  am 
sorry  to  hear  it.  I  could  have  dealt  with  you  and  have 
brought  arguments  to  bear  which  I  am  sure  would 
have  weighed  with  you,  had  you  been  responsible. 
But  I  know  not  what  to  say  in  regard  to  the  Duchess, 
if  your  surmise  is  correct  that  the  mother  has  been 


GONE  163 

privy  to  the  stealing  of  the  daughter.  God  alone 
knows  what  rash  step  that  desperate,  demented  woman 
may  take."  He  spoke  with  genuine  concern  and  was 
manifestly  deeply  moved. 

"We  must  find  her,"  I  said. 

"  Ves,  I  know.  But  how  ?  If  this  were  Germany  I 
could  do  it,  because  we  have  there  some  attempt  at  a 
police  system.  But  here,  what  have  you  ?  You  can 
regulate  your  street  traffic  and  catch  a  man  sometimes 
whose  crime  is  committed  under  your  nose,  but  how 
can  you  deal  with  a  thing  like  this  ?  Your  personal 
responsibility  is  indeed  a  heavy  one.  It  must  be  that 
the  news  of  the  marriage  got  out  somehow ;  perhaps, 
as  you  suggest,  through  the  spy,  Schwartz,  and  it  drove 
these  people  to  this  course.  But  if  we  know  that,  of 
what  use  is  it  ?  It  will  not  bring  back  the  young 
Duchess.  It  will  not  prevent  her  being  coerced  into  a 
marriage  with  this  von  Kronheim  ;  it  will  not  give  me 
an  answer  to  send  to  the  Duke  when  he  asks  me  to 
produce  the  daughter  who  shall  be  his  heiress.  It  will 
do  nothing,  in  short,"  he  cried,  jumping  from  his  chair 
and  beginning  to  pace  the  room  excitedly.  "  It  will 
do  nothing." 

I  myself  was  too  cast  down  not  to  be  affected  by  his 
mood,  and  my  eyes  followed  him  despondently ;  nor 
could  I  find  a  gleam  of  hope  in  the  situation. 

"  You  will  have  to  bear  the  responsibility  for  all  this 
mess,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  said,  almost  fiercely,  when  at 
length  he  threw  himself  down  in  his  chair.  "  What 
are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  To  find  Celia,"  said  I,  curtly. 

"  Yes,  yes ;  but  how  ?  " 

"  I  have  already  a  number  of  agents  searching  and 


i  64  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

inquiring,  and  every  clue  that  comes  I  shall  follow  up 
personally." 

He  laughed  shortly,  almost  contemptuously. 

"  You  could  not  guard  her  when  she  was  in  your 
house  and  charge." 

"  Can  you  offer  any  suggestions  ?  They  will  be 
more  valuable  and  more  practical  than  this  indulgence 
in  sneers,"  and  as  there  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by 
any  continuance  of  the  interview  I  prepared  to  leave. 

"  I  can  offer  you  none.  I  shall,  of  course,  take  such 
steps  as  I  can,"  he  said,  in  his  previous  antagonistic 
tone.  "  But  if  any  ill  happen  to  her  through  the  mania 
of  her  mother  I  shall  hold  you  responsible,  and  you 
will  have  to  answer  for  it  to  those  at  Crudenstadt." 

"  Had  you  done  what  you  said  and  laid  hands  on 
von  Kronheim,  this  would  not  have  happened,"  I  re- 
torted angrily. 

"  Had  you  not  indulged  in  this  contumacious  thought 
of  marriage  nothing  would  have  happened,"  he  cried, 
with  equal  warmth.  "  I  warned  you  of  the  Duchess's 
madness,  remember,"  and  with  this  ringing  in  my  ears 
I  left  him. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE   SEARCH 

I  HAD  gained  nothing  by  my  interview  at  the  Em- 
bassy, except  the  assurance  that  no  one  there  had  had 
a  hand  in  Celia's  disappearance;  and  this  I  had  scarcely 
needed.  The  chief  effect  of  the  conversation  indeed 
had  been  to  heighten  my  fears  of  the  danger  to  Celia, 
which  was  to  be  apprehended  from  her  mother's  mad- 
ness. 

I  drove  back  to  my  house  in  the  forlorn  hope  that 
the  private  detective  might  have  discovered  some  clue. 
There  was  nothing  from  them,  however,  but  I  experi- 
enced a  genuine  surprise  when  I  reached  home,  for  the 
first  news  I  heard  was  that  Schwartz  was  in  the  house. 
I  sent  for  him  immediately. 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  "  I  asked  him,  sternly. 

"  I  was  taken  ill  in  the  early  morning,  Sir  Stanley, 
with  another  of  my  heart  attacks,  and  had  to  go  out 
for  fresh  air.  I  went  out  between  four  and  five  o'clock, 
sir,  and  walked  and  sat  in  the  park  until  I  recovered." 

"  Your  attacks  appear  to  come  at  peculiar  junc- 
tures." 

"  I  never  know  when  they  are  coming  on,  sir,"  he 
replied,  looking  at  me  stolidly  and  meeting  my  look 
firmly  enough. 

"  Of  course,  you  heard  and  saw  nothing  unusual  in 
the  house  when  you  left  your  room  ?  " 

165 


166  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  No,  Sir  Stanley;  nothing." 

"  You  know  what  has  happened  ?  " 

"  I  have  heard  of  it  since  my  return,  sir." 

"  Do  you  tell  me  you  know  nothing  of  the  cause  of 
all  this  trouble?" 

"  I  have  my  fears,  Sir  Stanley." 

"What  are  they?" 

"  It  was  at  just  about  Miss  Celia's  age  that  her 
mother  showed  the  first  signs  of  her  malady." 

"  You  scoundrel !  "  I  cried,  my  anger  breaking  out 
of  control.  "  You  dare  to  have  a  hand  in  all  this  black 
business  and  then  come  canting  back  to  me  with  this  lie 
on  your  lips.  I  have  found  out  much  about  you,  and 
you  shall  repent.  You  were  the  first  to  give  the  alarm 
when  I  went  to  the  German  Embassy,  with  the  result 
that  these  people  escaped  us,  and  now  you  have  dared 
to  plot  against  me  in  my  own  house,  to  connive  and 
help  at  placing  Miss  Celia  in  the  hands  of  those  who 
mean  nothing  but  ill  for  her ;  and  having  done  your 
evil  work  you  come  back  to  me  with  a  series  of  smooth 
lies  rolling  off  your  tongue  to  try  and  hoodwink  me 
further.     But  you  have  made  a  mistake,  my  man." 

"  I  don't  understand  you  in  the  least,  Sir  Stanley," 
he  answered,  doggedly. 

"  I  will  give  you  one  chance.  Tell  me  where  they 
have  taken  her  and  you  shall  go  your  own  way  ;  any 
way,  so  long  as  it's  far  enough  from  me.  Refuse,  and 
I'll  hand  you  over  to  those  who  will  know  how  to 
make  you  speak.  Now,  where  is  Miss  Celia  ?  "  and  I 
went  across  and  stood  over  him. 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir.  I  know  nothing  about  it,"  he 
said,  in  the  same  dogged,  sullen  tone. 

"  Don't  lie  to  me  !  "  I  thundered,  fiercely. 


THE  SEARCH  167 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir,"  he  repeated. 

"  Where  is  the  Duchess  Marie,  or  the  Count  von 
Kronheim  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir." 

"  When  did  you  see  them,  or  hear  from  them,  or 
communicate  with  them  last  ?  " 

"  In  the  hall  here,  Sir  Stanley.  That  is  the  only 
time." 

"  Well,  we  will  see  about  that." 

I  opened  the  door  and  called  one  of  the  servants  to 
send  Wilson  to  me.  While  we  were  waiting  Schwartz 
stood  biting  his  lip  and  glancing  now  and  then  in  fear 
at  my  face,  wondering  what  I  meant  to  do.  I  paid  no 
heed. 

"  Wilson,"  I  said,  when  he  came,  "  get  one  of  the 
men  and  get  ready,  both  of  you,  to  go  out  immedi- 
ately." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Sir  Stanley?  I  hope 
you  will  do  nothing  to  let  the  public  know  of  all 
this  ?"  asked  Schwartz. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  where  these  people  are  to  be 
found  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  he  said  again,  doggedly.  And 
after  that  we  neither  spoke  until  Wilson  and  the  groom 
arrived. 

.  "  Call  a  cab  and  take  this  man,  Schwartz,  to  the 
German  Embassy.  I  will  give  you  a  letter,  and  mind, 
do  not  lose  sight  of  Schwartz  until  you  have  handed 
him  over  to  Count  Bursten  himself.  If  he  makes  any 
resistance  you  have  my  full  authority  to  take  any 
necessary  measures." 

I  sat  down  and  wrote  the  letter,  expressing  my  con- 
viction that  Schwartz  could  give  the  information  we 


1 68  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

needed  if  means  could  be  devised  to  force  him  to  speak, 
and  that,  in  any  event,  he  should  be  kept  under  the 
closest  surveillance. 

His  suggestion,  like  the  rest  of  his  story,  was  a  lie  of 
course ;  but  it  had  its  use.  It  showed  me  what  these 
people  might  pretend  to  regard  as  the  reason  of  Celia's 
disappearance.  No  one  but  Schwartz,  however,  could 
have  cut  the  wires  which  had  silenced  the  alarm.  I 
would  not  believe  him  guiltless.  Not  only  the  facts 
but  all  the  probabilities  pointed  to  his  being  impli- 
cated ;  and  what  I  had  to  do  was  to  move  Heaven  and 
earth  to  trace  the  movements  of  the  Duchess  and  von 
Kronheim,,and  I  decided  to  make  efforts  of  my  own 
to  follow  the  trail. 

The  private  detectives  had  done  nothing.  As  I  was 
getting  ready  to  go  out  again  one  of  them  came  to  me 
with  a  story  that  they  believed  they  had  a  clue  already, 
and  he  spun  me  a  yarn  about  someone  who  had  seen  a 
carriage  stopping  near  the  house  in  the  night,  which  it 
was  believed  had  been  used  for  the  purpose  of  the 
abduction,  and  that  he  was  hopeful  of  tracing  it.  He 
expressed  great  confidence,  and  was  full  of  mysterious 
suggestions  and  insinuations  of  the  secret  means  at  his 
disposal.  But  I  found  no  difficulty  in  reading  between 
the  lines  of  his  words  that  he  was  merely  using  the 
tricks  of  his  trade  to  impress  me  with  his  and  his  em- 
ployers' great  astuteness  and  resource. 

I  listened  to  him  and  encouraged  him,  as  it  was  not 
my  cue  to  show  any  lack  of  confidence.  But  the  re- 
sult of  the  conversation  was  to  make  it  plain  that  I 
should  have  to  rely  much  more  upon  myself  than  upon 
him. 

I  began  my  search  at  the  point  where  my  previous 


THE  SEARCH  169 

inquiries  as  to  the  mysterious  tenant  of  the  next  house 
had  stopped.  I  saw  the  agents  and  questioned  them 
again  closely,  and  went  again  to  the  bankers  who  had 
been  given  as  references.  But  I  learnt  nothing.  The 
account  at  the  bank  had  been  closed  almost  imme- 
diately after  the  reference  had  been  given  in  regard  to 
the  house,  and  not  a  soul  there  could  give  me  any  in- 
formation. 

I  wired  to  the  house  in  Germany  which  had  sent 
the  introduction  to  the  English  bank,  but  they  knew 
nothing.  It  appeared  that  they  had  been  used  pretty 
much  as  the  English  bank — for  the  sole  purposes  of 
establishing  a  reputation  for  the  anonymous  character 
in  which  von  Kronheim  had  evidently  designed  to  carry 
on  part  of  the  intrigue.  It  was  obvious  that  there  was 
no  lack  of  money,  and  this  circumstance  would  certainly 
add  to  my  difficulty  in  tracing  the  people. 

I  went  then  to  the  house  where  the  Countess  Borgen 
had  stayed,  but  only  to  draw  a  complete  blank.  She 
and  her  daughter  had  left  very  suddenly  on  the  day 
when  I  had  first  seen  the  Count  Bursten  at  the  Em- 
bassy, and  immediately  after  receiving  a  telegram.  At 
von  Kronheim's  hotel  I  had  the  same  story,  and  it  was 
clear  to  me,  therefore,  that  when  Schwartz  gave  the 
alarm  it  had  been  the  signal  for  a  general  flight. 

Nor  was  there  a  trace  left  anywhere  of  their  move- 
ments. I  was  told  in  both  places  that  the  boxes  and 
trunks  were  always  kept  ready  packed,  and  that  they 
had  prepared  the  people  for  the  probability  of  a  hur- 
ried departure  of  the  kind.  No  one  had  seen  them 
since,  nor  had  a  letter  or  message  been  received  for 
them. 

The  only  clue  I  got  out  of  the  whole  of  my  inquiries 


170  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

was  the  removal  of  the  luggage.  This  had  been  by- 
cabs,  and  I  drove  to  the  private  detective's  to  give  him 
the  facts  and  tell  him  to  trace  the  cabs  with  all  possible 
speed. 

I  returned  home,  wearied,  dispirited  and  utterly  dis- 
couraged, as  the  result  of  my  long  day's  work.  The 
search  appeared  hopeless,  and  they  seemed  to  have 
vanished  completely,  as  though  they  had  all  been  spir- 
ited away  as  mysteriously  as  Celia  herself. 

At  the  house  Blossom  was  waiting  for  me  impa- 
tiently. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,  Stanley,"  she 
cried,  meeting  me  in  the  hall.  She  had  been  watch- 
ing for  me.  "  There  is  news  from  Celia.  A  telegram 
came  for  you  two  or  three  hours  ago,  and  as  I  thought 
it  might  have  something  to  do  with  this  terrible  busi- 
ness, I  opened  it,  dear.  It  is  from  Celia  herself,"  and 
she  gave  it  me  as  we  hurried  into  the  library.  "  But  I 
can't  understand  it." 


"  I  am  well.  Do  not  try  to  find  me.  You  know 
why  I  cannot  marry  you.  My  only  course  was  to  leave 
you.  I  am  grieved  to  the  heart  to  wound  you  in  this 
way.     Have  courage  and  forget  me.  Celia." 

For  a  moment  the  message  gave  me  a  pang  of  genuine 
alarm,  but  I  rallied  quickly  and  recovered  myself. 

"Quick!  Tell  them  to  keep  the  carriage.  I  want 
it  at  once ! "  I  cried,  so  excitedly  that  Wilson,  who 
had  come  to  report  to  me  about  Schwartz,  stared  at 
me  in  amazement.  "Quick,  man! — quick!"  and  he 
ran  off  at  once. 


THE  SEARCH  171 

"  What  does  it  mean,  Stanley  ?  "  asked  my  sister. 

"  I  can't  stay  to  tell  you  now,  dear.  I  am  going  to 
find  out  who  sent  this  message.  I  will  tell  you  the 
moment  I  get  back,"  and  a  minute  later  I  was  back  in 
the  carriage  again,  hurrying  as  fast  as  the  man  could 
drive  to  the  post-office  in  the  Strand,  where  the  mes- 
sage had  been  handed  in. 

If  it  had  been  despatched  by  Celia  herself  I  felt  I 
might  almost  give  up  the  search.  But  I  believed  that 
the  whole  thing  was  a  mere  blind — part  of  the  abomi- 
nable plot  which  these  people  had  woven. 

So  much  turned  on  the  identity  of  the  sender  that  I 
was  almost  afraid  to  put  the  issue  to  the  test.  But  the 
more  I  thought  over  the  matter  the  more  improbable 
did  it  seem  that  Celia  could  have  sent  such  a  message. 
The  message  had  been  despatched  at  half-past  three, 
and  for  Celia  to  have  sent  it  would  mean  that  she  had 
been  wandering  aimlessly  about  London  through  the 
night  from  the  time  she  left  Cromwell-road  and  all 
through  the  day.  If  she  had  fled  voluntarily  I  felt  that 
her  instinct  would  have  been  to  hurry  out  of  London 
as  soon  as  possible. 

At  the  post-office  I  gave  in  my  card,  asked  for  the 
chief  of  the  telegraphic  staff,  and  explained  to  him  my 
errand. 

"  It  is  very  unusual  to  give  any  information,  Sir 
Stanley,"  he  said,  in  a  dry,  official  manner,  "  and  we 
cannot  show  you  the  original  telegram  without  the 
proper  order." 

"  I  have  reason  to  believe  this  is  a  forgery  and  part 
of  an  exceedingly  ugly  conspiracy  with  far-reaching 
consequences.  I  assure  you  the  matter  is  of  the  grav- 
est importance." 


172  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

He  was  impressed  by  my  earnestness,  and,  after  a 
few  moments'  thought,  he  said  : 

"Will  you  give  me  the  telegram?"  And  he  went 
out  of  the  room ;  and  when  he  returned  brought  with 
him  a  younger  man.  "  This  is  the  clerk  who  took  the 
message,  Sir  Stanley.  Would  you  like  to  ask  him  any 
questions?  " 

"  Do  you  remember  receiving  the  message?" 

"  Perfectly,"  he  answered.  "  I  was  struck  by  the 
length  and  the  very  unusual  character  of  it.  The 
sender  was  a  tall,  dark,  military-looking  man,  who 
spoke  with  a  slight  foreign  accent." 

This  answered  to  von  Kronheim  himself,  and  when 
I  questioned  him  further  his  answers  left  no  doubt  in 
my  mind  on  the  point. 

"  I  asked  him  for  the  sender's  full  name  and  address," 
added  the  clerk,  "  and  he  seemed  surprised  at  the  ques- 
tion, hesitated,  and  then  said  there  was  no  address.  I 
pointed  to  the  regulations  at  the  back  of  the  form,  and 
then,  as  it  appeared  to  me  with  some  confusion,  he  wrote 

down Shall  I  say,  sir?"  asked  the  clerk,  turning 

to  his  chief. 

"  No,  that  will  do,"  and  the  clerk  was  sent  away. 
"  Does  that  assist  you  at  all,  Sir  Stanley  ?  "  asked  the 
chief. 

"  Most  materially,  and  it  confirms  my  suspicions." 

"You  understand  that,  officially,  I  cannot  let  you 
see  the  original  telegram,  but  if  you  will  give  me  your 
word  not  to  make  use  of  it  I  will  show  it  you  as  a 
matter  of  courtesy." 

"  I  give  you  my  word,  certainly,  and  thank  you  cor- 
dially," I  replied,  as  he  handed  me  the  message,  not  a 
word  of  which  was  in  Celia's  handwriting. 


THE  SEARCH  173 

I  returned  it  with  another  word  of  thanks  and  a  re- 
newed assurance  of  confidence,  and  left. 

It  was  as  plain  as  anything  could  be  that  the  mes- 
sage had  been  intended  as  a  blind,  and  when  in  the 
light  of  this  knowledge  I  studied  its  words  I  saw  some- 
thing more.  It  was  clear  that  someone  had  overheard 
some  of  our  conversations  about  the  Duchess's  insan- 
ity and  had  misunderstood  us ;  and  that  an  ingenious 
use  had  been  made  of  the  knowledge  to  refer  in  the 
message  to  a  subject  of  which  Celia  and  I  might  reason- 
ably suppose  no  one  but  our  two  selves  had  any  cog- 
nisance.    It  explained  also  Schwartz's  suggestion. 

When  I  reached  home  I  told  my  sister  only  that  I 
had  discovered  the  truth  as  to  the  sender  of  the  mes- 
sage, and  that  it  left  no  room  for  doubt  that  Celia  had 
fallen  into  von  Kronheim's  hands. 

But  all  this  carried  me  no  further  on  the  road  to 
tracing  her,  although  it  removed  the  racking  torture  of 
the  doubt  that  the  disappearance  was  due  to  any  sud- 
den, morbid  impulse  of  Celia  herself. 

I  spent  the  night  trying  to  devise  means  to  find 
her,  and  the  next  day  was  passed  in  an  agony  of  un- 
certainty and  baffled,  impotent  anger.  The  private 
detectives  did  nothing,  the  Ambassador  did  nothing, 
and  I  myself  was  equally  unsuccessful.  Schwartz  had 
been  allowed  to  go,  but  was  to  be  kept  under  the 
closest  watch,  a  vigilance  which  he  succeeded  in  eluding 
within  half-a-dozen  hours  of  his  leaving  Count  Bursten, 
with  whom  he  had  maintained  the  same  attitude  of 
dogged  ignorance  as  with  me. 

The  suspense  of  that  day  was  intolerable,  and  the 
night  that  followed  was  the  most  wretched  of  my  life, 
for  despair  was  already  clutching  at  my  heart-strings. 


174  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  next  morning  brought  light,  however,  and  how 
I  hailed  it  may  be  imagined. 

Among  my  letters  was  a  somewhat  bulky  one  ad- 
dressed in  a  strange  hand  of  a  foreign  character  with 
the  Calais  postmark,  and  I  tore  it  open  with  mingled 
feelings  of  foreboding  and  hope.  It  contained  a  letter 
and  two  sealed  but  unaddressed  envelopes. 

The  letter  was  from  Katrine  Borgen — strenuous, 
terse  and  grimly  earnest. 

"Sir  Stanley, 

"  Before  you  break  the  seals  and  read  a  line  of  either 
of  the  enclosed  letters,  remember  your  promise — that 
no  harm  shall  ever  come  to  Karl  through  you.  I  put 
you  on  your  honour  not  to  say  a  single  word  to  any 
one,  nor  to  take  a  single  step  of  any  kind  that  will  harm 
him.  If  you  will  not  give  that  pledge  I  charge  you  by 
all  you  hold  sacred  not  to  read  a  line  of  these  letters — 
not  even  to  break  the  seals. 

"If  you  break  the  seal  of  either,  it  will  be  your  ac- 
ceptance of  the  pledge,  your  oath  of  honour,  to  hold 
him  harmless. 

"  Katrine  Borgen." 

I  did  not  hesitate  an  instant  but  tore  open  the  enve- 
lopes. One  contained  a  letter  from  Celia,  and  the 
other  a  second  letter  from  Katrine  herself. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE    LETTERS 

I  FIRST  ran  my  eye  rapidly  over  the  two  letters, 
gathering  the  pith  of  their  contents,  and  then  read 
them  carefully  and  deliberately ;  Celia's  first,  of  course. 

"  My  Dear  Stanley, 

"  Katrine  Borgen  says  she  can  get  this  posted  to  you, 
and  as  she  seems,  from  motives  I  cannot  fathom,  to  be 
most  friendly  to  me,  I  am  trusting  her.  Just  now,  in- 
deed, I  have  no  one  else  to  trust — here,  of  course,  I 
mean. 

"  I  do  not  wish  you  to  be  over-anxious  about  me. 
I  am  not  afraid,  and  promise  you  I  will  not  lose  cour- 
age :  but  I  have  decided  to  take  the  somewhat  strange 
course  of  appearing  to  acquiesce  in  the  plans  which  the 
Duchess  Marie — I  wish  I  could  call  her  mother,  and 
think  of  her  as  mother — has  made  to  marry  me  to  the 
Count.  Do  not  fear  for  me.  I  shall  not  marry  him  ; 
no  entreaty,  no  power,  no  threat,  shall  ever  make  me 
do  so.  But  we  had  one  violent  scene  in  which  the 
Duchess  went  so  far  as  to  threaten  my  life  if  I  contin- 
ued to  disobey  her ;  and  to  pacify  her  I  said  I  would 
leave  the  matter  over  for  consideration.  This  occurred 
in  London  before  we  left  for  Saxe-Lippe,  where  we  are 
going,  so  Katrine  says.  I  had  again,  in  regard  to  the 
journey,  to  appear  to  fall  in  with  their  plans.     I  said, 

i75 


176  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

yes,  I  would  accompany  them  without  trouble;  and  I 
agreed  to  this,  because  I  thought  ;*:  would  give  you 
time — and  I  resolved  to  communicate  with  you  some- 
how— to  follow  and  upset  these  plans. 

"  So  now  we  are  on  our  way  to  the  Duchy,  and  my 
comfort  is  that  you  will  soon  be  in  pursuit.  With  this 
thought  to  cheer  me,  I  am  not  a  bit  afraid.  I  do  not 
believe  they  will  dare  to  do  me  any  harm.  I  am  treated 
kindly  in  fact — except  by  the  stern  Duchess  Marie  her- 
self ;  and  she,  poor  soul,  is  not,  as  we  know,  in  her  right 
senses.  So  long,  however,  as  I  appear  to  be  doing 
what  she  commands — and  she  has  a  habit  of  command- 
ing even  in  trifles — she  is  satisfied.  But,  of  course, 
there  must  come  the  hour  of  trouble,  when  they  at- 
tempt to  make  me  marry  Count  von  Kronheim.  Katrine 
swears  to  me,  however,  that  she  can  and  will  prevent 
this ;  and  so  together  we  comfort  one  another.  She 
tells  me  that  Schwartz  has  been  the  traitor  throughout ; 
that  he  arranged  for  the  Countess  Borgen  to  get  into 
the  house  ;  that  I  was  drugged  and  when  quite  uncon- 
scious, dressed  and  taken  through  the  house  next  to 
yours  to  a  carriage  that  was  kept  in  readiness  close  by. 
I  was  then  carried  to  the  house  where  the  Duchess 
Maricwas  staying  in  London,  and  kept  there  until  we 
started. 

"  I  know  you  must  have  been  terribly  alarmed  at  my 
disappearance ;  but  as  I  say,  I  do  not  think  there  is  any 
cause  for  serious  fear  for  some  days  yet,  until  indeed 
I  have  to  throw  off  the  mask  altogether,  and  show 
them  I  will  not  make  this  hateful  marriage.  But  you 
will  have  found  me  before  then  ;  so  we  need  only  have 
courage  and  faith  in  each  other — such  as  I  have  in  you 
and  in  myself — and  all  must  come  right.     But  lose  no 


THE  LETTERS  177 

time.     Even  now  I  will  not  accept  the  view  that  it  is 
anything  but  comedy. 

"  Auf  wiedersehen,  Stanley, 

"  Celia." 

Katrine's  letter  was  in  a  quite  different  tone: 

"  You  have  now  pledged  me  your  honour  and  I  hold 
you  to  your  word  religiously.  Whatever  you  do  must 
be  done  in  such  a  way  that  Karl  comes  to  no  harm ; 
any  step  that  clashes  with  that,  I  appeal  to  you  on 
your  honour  not  to  take.  On  that  understanding  I 
give  you  the  following  information  and  send  you  Celia's 
letter.  We  are  going  to  Saxe-Lippe,  I  believe  to  Karl's 
home  in  the  hills  near  Crudenstadt ;  but  I  am  not  cer- 
tain. When  we  reach  there,  I  will  find  the  means  of 
communicating  with  you  at  your  sister's  house.  Fol- 
low with  all  practicable  speed — but  be  on  your  guard, 
for  you  are  likely  to  be  followed  in  your  turn  and  may 
be  in  danger. 

"  The  present  scheme  is  to  get  Celia  to  Crudenstadt 

and  to  force  or  trick  her  into  a  marriage  with   Karl, 

and  then  to  put  forward  a  claim  to  the  succession  in  her 

name.     I  will  do  what  I  can  to  prevent   this :  God 

knows,  I  am  resolved  to   do  so:  but  at  times   I    am 

powerless ;  and  I  have  fears  of  a  scheme  so  vile,  that  I 

dare  not  even  put  it  on  paper.     Celia  does  not  know 

the  danger  in  which  she  stands.     She   is  brave  and  I 

would  have  her  keep  up  her  courage,  for  she  may  need 

every  ounce   of  it.     If  she  knew,   poor  girl,  Heaven 

knows  what  effect  it  would  have  upon  her.     More  than 

her  life  depends  upon  your  hurrying  to  Crudenstadt  to 

the  rescue.     God  help  us  all. 

"  Katrine." 
12 


178  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

These  letters,  Katrine's  especially,  set  me  on  fire. 
I  believed  so  thoroughly  in  the  rascality  of  the  man 
in  whose  power  Celia  now  was,  that  my  imagination 
suggested  half  a  hundred  interpretations  of  Katrine's 
vague  but  terrible  words.  I  pictured  vividly  enough 
the  many  dangers  which  might  encompass  Celia  while 
in  his  hands  and  those  of  her  insane  mother. 

But  it  was  certain  that  I  must  act  both  warily  and 
promptly.  Go  to  Crudenstadt  I  must  at  once,  of 
course  ;  but  if  von  Kronheim's  agents  were  still  shadow- 
ing my  movements,  I  must  find  the  means  of  putting 
them  off  the  scent.  I  summoned  my  man,  Wilson, 
therefore,  and  told  him  that  I  believed  I  had  a  clue  to 
Celia's  movements  ;  that  she  had  been  seen  in  Chelten- 
ham, and  that  I  was  going  there  at  once.  He  was  to 
pack  me  enough  clothes  for  a  month  and  to  be  pre- 
pared to  come  with  me,  and  meet  me  at  Paddington 
station  for  a  train  I  named. 

"You  need  not  keep  my  journey  too  secret,  Wilson," 
I  said,  significantly.  "  Don't  blab  it  about  indiscreetly, 
of  course ;  but  others  may  guess  where  I  am  going." 

"  Yes,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  answered,  quietly,  and  I  saw 
he  understood. 

I  told  Blossom  and  my  aunt  that  I  had  had  tidings 
of  Celia,  and  said  that  Wilson  was  to  meet  me  at  Pad- 
dington in  time  for  the  Cheltenham  train.  I  deemed 
it  best  to  keep  even  them  uninformed  for  the  present. 

I  then  drove  to  the  German  Embassy  and  asked  for 
Count  Bursten.  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  if 
his  help  could  be  obtained  it  would  be  the  surest  means 
of  rescuing  Celia,  and  in  face  of  Katrine's  letter,  that 
rescue  was  now  the  paramount  consideration.  The 
swiftest  means  of  saving  her  must  be  adopted,  even  if 


THE  LETTERS  179 

recourse  to  them  meant  that  she  would  be  taken  out 
of  my  care  and  placed  in  that  of  the  Duke's  agents. 

The  madness  of  her  mother,  the  desperate  character 
of  the  Count  von  Kronheim,  and  the  undisguised  men- 
tion of  the  vile  scheme  contemplated  or  actually  con- 
cocted to  accomplish  her  ruin,  subordinated  even  the 
plan  of  our  marriage  to  the  need  for  her  safety. 

I  found  Count  Bursten  full  charged  with  his  sus- 
picions of  me.  His  manner  was  abrupt  and  almost 
discourteous ;  he  was  in  a  bad  temper,  and  he  listened 
to  me  with  obvious  and  most  unpalatable  impatience. 

"  If  you  have  come  to  renounce  your  pretensions, 
Sir  Stanley,  I  am  at  your  service,"  he  said,  doubtingly. 

"  I  have  come  in  regard  to  that  matter,  and  I  am 
afraid  my  mission  is  a  little  unusual." 

"  What  is  it  ?  Pardon  me  if  I  say  I  am  much  pressed 
for  time."  His  tone  was  cold,  unbending  and  im- 
patient. 

"  I  have  news  of  my  ward,"  I  said. 

"  Of  the  young  Duchess  Celia?"  he  corrected,  but  a 
momentary  light  of  eagerness  in  his  eyes  contradicted 
the  severe  formality  of  his  manner. 

"We  need  not  quibble  about  her  description,"  I  re- 
torted. "  I  think  I  can  say  I  shall  know  where  she 
will  be  to  be  found  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  days." 

"  Where  'she  will  be  to  be  found,'  "  he  said,  repeat- 
ing my  words.  "  Where  is  she  now?  That  is  a  much 
more  important  question,  and  I  must  remind  you  that 
save  for  your  fault  Ave  could  answer  it.  But  if  you 
have  come  to  bring  me  news  of  her,  pray  tell  it  me." 

"  I  can  secure  that  she  shall  be  in  your  hands,  or  in 
those  of  your  agents,  if  you  will  agree  to  a  certain  con- 
dition." 


180  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

He  made  a  gesture  of  dissent. 

"  I  am  not  accustomed  to  agree  to  unknown  con- 
ditions, nor  to  fetter  my  power  of  action  in  such  a 
way.  If  you  have  anything  to  say,  I  beg  you  to  say 
it  frankly." 

"  Your  use  of  that  term,  sir,  is  scarcely  called  for," 
I  answered,  not  without  warmth.  "  I  have  never  dealt 
otherwise  than  frankly  with  you." 

"  I  meant  no  offence,  and  you  need  take  none.  If 
you  claim  always  to  have  been  frank,  I  must  remind 
you  that  when  I  pressed  you  to  tell  me  your  own  in- 
tentions in  regard  to  your  marriage,  you  would  not  do 
so.  But,  excuse  me  ;  I  have  neither  time  nor  mind  for 
bandying  words." 

"  I  have  learnt  in  a  singular  manner  which  much 
fetters  my  actions  and  my  tongue  where  my  ward  is 
being  taken.  I  can  tell  you,  and  I  wish  to  do  so  ;  but 
it  is  a  necessary  condition  that  I  have  a  pledge  from 
you  that  whatever  may  happen,  or  whatever  means 
may  have  to  be  taken  to  get  her  out  of  the  hands  of 
those  with  whom  she  is,  no  ill  consequences  of  any 
kind  shall  fall  upon  the  Count  von  Kronheim.  Can 
you  give  me  such  an  assurance  ?  " 

The  question  puzzled  and  surprised  him,  and  he 
looked  at  me  very  searchingly. 

"  You  making  stipulations  in  favour  of  that  man  ?  " 
He  said  this  as  if  half  to  himself,  and  then  asked, 
sharply:  "Are  you  really  serious,  Sir  Stanley?" 

"  The  request  is  from  no  good-will  of  mine  towards 
its  object,"  said  I,  bluntly.  "  My  hands  are  tied.  I 
can  only  use  or  give  the  information  on  that  con- 
dition." 

"  Ah,  you  get  it  from  that  woman's  daughter,  and 


THE  LETTERS  181 

she  wants  to  shield  the  man,"  he  said,  promptly  and 
shrewdly. 

"  Yes,  that  is  exactly  what  has  happened." 

"  Well,  you  might  have  saved  yourself  the  trouble 
of  this  visit.  It  would  take  me  weeks  of  negotiation 
to  secure  such  an  immunity  for  that  young  man  ;  weeks, 

and  possibly   even  months,  and  meanwhile "     He 

finished  with  an  expressive  wave  of  the  hands. 

"  Then  I  can  give  you  no  information,"  I  said,  de- 
cidedly. 

"  Do  you  mean  you  will  tell  me  nothing  just  because 
a  scatter-brained,  love-sick  young  woman  has  suggested 
such  a  preposterous  condition?" 

"  I  have  pledged  my  word.  I  have  obtained  the 
knowledge  I  possess  on  those  terms,  and  I  hold  myself 
bound  by  them  to  the  letter." 

"  To  the  letter,  yes,  of  course,"  he  said,  and  after 
looking  very  shrewdly  and  earnestly  at  my  face,  he 
took  three  or  four  turns  up  and  down  the  room  in 
silence.  Then  in  a  tone  of  much  greater  confidence 
he  added  :  "  I  should  not  think  of  asking  you  to  com- 
mit a  breach  of  that  pledge,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  said,  after 
the  pause,  turning  on  me  again  his  sharp,  reading, 
penetrating  eyes. 

"  I  am  sure  of  that,"  I  replied,  a  little  drily ;  "  and 
you  are  equally  sure  that  it  would  be  of  no  avail." 

"  This  is  a  very  weighty  matter  of  the  first  impor- 
tance to  many  great  and  grave  interests,"  he  continued 
meaningly  ;  "  and  you  are  now,  I  believe,  quite  in 
earnest  in  your  wish  to  render  us  all  the  assistance  you 
can  ?  " 

"  Quite  in  earnest." 

**  Exactly  so,"  and  he  smiled,  keeping  his  eyes  on 


i82  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

my  face  all  the  time.     "  Of  course,  you  must  not  give 

me  any  direct  information,  but "  he  paused,  as  if  for 

me  to  speak ;  but  I  held  my  tongue,  and  he  added  : 
"  There  are  perhaps  some  indirect  means  by  which  we 
could  achieve  an  end  we  both  desire.  The  safety  of 
the  young  Duchess  is  a  crucial  matter,  and  I  can  take 
instant,  drastic  and  effective  steps  to  secure  it,  which 
you,  of  course,  cannot.  A  hint  would  be  sufficient." 
I  smiled. 

"  What  would  be  the  consequences  to  the  Count 
von  Kronheim  in  such  a  case  ?  "  I  asked. 

"You  see,  my  dear  Sir  Stanley,  my  own  hands  are 
rather  tied  in  a  matter  of  that  sort.  Personally,  I  would 
give  you  the  assurance  you  ask  in  a  moment,  but " 

"  But  what  ?  " 

"  It  would  depend  entirely  upon  where  the  Count 
were  found.  If  here  in  England,  he  would  go  scot  free, 
because  we  can  control  our  agents  here.  But  if,  for 
instance,  he  were  in  Saxe-Lippe  " — here  he  paused — 
"  supposing  him  to  be  so  unwise  as  to  venture  into  the 

Duchy "     He  paused  again  and  looked  eagerly  for 

some  indication  from  me.  It  was  cleverly  done,  but  my 
face  was  as  expressionless  as  a  marble  bust. 

"If  he  were  so  unwise?"  I  repeated,  stolidly;  and 
then  he  accepted  defeat  with  the  customary  smile  he 
used  to  cover  his  chagrin. 

"  I  do  not  press  you,  of  course." 

"  If  I  cannot  tell  you  directly  and  plainly — that  is,  if 
you  will  not  give  me  the  guarantee — I  cannot  allow 
myself  to  be  drawn  into  making  admissions  indirectly. 
I  deeply  regret  your  decision — but  it  is  yours,  not 
mine ;  and  I  will  not  trespass  upon  you  longer." 

"  You  will  take  steps  on  your  own  account  ?  "  he  asked. 


THE  LETTERS  183 

"  Yes,  certainly.  You  have  surrounded  my  task  with 
great  difficulty  when  you  could  have  made  it  light. 
But  the  responsibility  is  yours,  not  mine." 

"  On  the  contrary,  Sir  Stanley  Meredith,  the  re- 
sponsibility is  altogether  yours,  and  you  must  be  pre- 
pared to  bear  with  the  consequences."  He  spoke  so 
sternly  with  such  heat  and  sudden  anger  that  I  was 
greatly  surprised.  "  I  consider  you  have  taken  a  very 
dangerous  and  wholly  unwarranted  action,  and  if  harm 
comes  of  it  to  the  young  Duchess  or  to  anyone  else, 
you  must  be  prepared  to  answer  for  the  course  you 
have  adopted.  Heaven  alone  knows  the  mischief  that 
may  come  of  your  unwarrantable  conduct." 

With  that  he  sounded  his  table  bell  fiercely,  and 
dismissed  me. 

I  left  the  Embassy  very  thoughtful  and  ill  at  ease. 
I  could  not  break  my  pledged  word,  and  yet  I  per- 
ceived well  enough  how  Katrine's  reservation  might 
lead  to  some  of  those  evils  which  Count  Bursten, 
shrewd  and  far-seeing  as  he  was,  clearly  anticipated. 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

AT   CRUDENSTADT 

THE  arrangements  I  made  for  preventing  anyone 
from  followiug  me  were  very  crude  and  simple,  and  as 
it  turned  out  quite  superfluous.  I  met  Wilson  at  Pad- 
dington,  and  instructed  him  to  put  our  luggage  on  to 
a  cab  and  send  it  across  to  Victoria. 

"  I  have  reason  to  think  we  are  being  watched,  Wil- 
son, and  you  must  therefore  act  with  caution.  Fuss 
about  and  seem  to  be  looking  after  me  ;  but  as  soon 
as  I  am  settled  in  my  compartment,  lose  yourself  in 
the  crowd  on  the  platform,  and  then  follow  the  lug- 
gage to  Victoria,  take  it  down  to  Dover  and  put  it  on 
the  Ostend  boat,  and  wait  for  me.  We  are  crossing 
to-night  to  the  Continent ;  and  mind — not  a  syllable 
to  a  soul." 

He  carried  out  my  instructions  cleverly  enough.  I 
watched  him  drop  back  from  my  carriage  window, 
loiter  a  moment  by  the  bookstall,  and  then  leave  the 
station.  I  had  by  design  taken  my  place  in  the  last 
compartment  of  the  train  next  the  guard's  van,  and 
made  a  great  parade  of  preparing  myself  for  a  long 
journey,  while  I  scanned  very  curiously  the  gradually 
thinning  groups  of  people  on  the  platform,  and  specu- 
lated whether  among  them  anyone  had  been  told  off 

to  shadow  me. 
184 


AT  CRUDENSTADT  185 

I  did  not  see  anyone  who  looked  to  me  in  the  least 
like  a  spy ;  and  when  the  train  started  I  was  quite  un- 
convinced whether  it  carried  one  or  not.  But  I  had 
my  plan  ready  and  put  it  into  effect. 

That  plan  was  to  leave  the  train  at  Westbourne 
Park,  where  we  were  due  in  five  minutes — the  next 
stoppage  being  at  Reading,  nearly  an  hour  later  ;  and 
to  leave  it  in  such  a  way  that  no  spy  would  be  able  to 
follow  me  without  at  least  my  getting  a  sight  of  him. 
We  pulled  up  and  I  waited  until  the  guard's  whistle 
had  sounded  for  the  train  to  leave  again  and  it  was 
already  in  motion  when  I  opened  the  carriage  door 
and  jumped  on  to  the  platform,  keeping  a  sharp  look- 
out for  anyone  who  might  do  the  same. 

But  no  one  else  alighted,  and  I  guessed  therefore 
that  I  had  succeeded  in  breaking  the  scent.  I  gave 
some  lame  excuse  to  the  station  people  for  my  act  and 
a  few  minutes  later  was  in  a  hansom  bowling  over  to 
Victoria,  to  catch  my  train  for  the  Continent,  with  a 
considerable  sense  of  satisfaction  at  having  so  easily 
checkmated  pursuit. 

The  run  to  Dover  and  the  passage  across  the  Chan- 
nel were  sufficiently  uneventful  to  leave  me  plenty  of 
time  to  think  ;  and  then  I  began  to  realise  how  many 
obstacles  there  were  in  my  way,  and  the  enormous 
difficulties  which  Katrine  had  added  by  her  conditions. 

I  seemed  so  feeble,  single-handed  ;  while  the  gravity 
of  the  issue  to  Celia,  should  I  fail,  filled  me  with  anxiety. 
I  thought  with  rare  pleasure  of  the  courage  and  spirit 
with  which  she  was  facing  the  crisis,  and  the  phrases 
of  her  letter  as  they  recurred  to  me,  breathing  trust  in 
me  and  dauntless  resolve  not  to  be  driven  from  alle- 
giance to  our  mutual  love  vows,  spurred  my  wits  in 


1 86  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

the  search  for  some  scheme  to  rescue  her.  But  behind 
this  picture  of  her  smiling  courage  loomed  the  dark 
background  of  Katrine's  forebodings  and  the  grim  as- 
surance that  Celia  did  not  know  the  dangers  by  which 
she  was  surrounded. 

I  was  pacing  the  deck  in  this  whirl  of  thought  when 
I  was  suddenly  seized  with  the  conviction  that  I  was 
being  watched.  It  is  a  profoundly  discomforting  sen- 
sation, and  I  glanced  with  some  gathering  suspicion  at 
such  fellow-passengers  as,  like  myself,  were  enjoying 
the  fine  night.  No  mental  fungus  grows  so  fast  as 
this  suspicion ;  and  I  was  in  a  morbid,  apprehensive 
mood  which  would  almost  have  allowed  me  to  believe 
that  every  soul  on  board  was  there  from  a  motive  that 
concerned  me.  I  began  to  shake  it  off  after  a  time, 
but  not  until  I  had  scanned  every  man  of  them  closely 
enough  to  be  able  to  identify  them  should  the  need 
arise. 

"  What  a  fool  I  must  be,"  I  exclaimed,  suddenly,  to 
myself.  "  As  if  a  spy,  now  that  I  am  on  board  the 
boat  and  can't  get  off  until  we  reach  Ostend,  would  be 
such  a  jackass  as  to  shadow  me,  and  so  let  me  be  able 
to  identify  him  !  " 

The  thing  was  preposterous,  but  the  obvious  absurd- 
ity of  it  did  not  entirely  reassure  me,  and  when  we 
reached  the  Belgian  port  I  kept  my  eyes  all  about  me, 
and  told  Wilson  to  do  the  same.  I  noticed  nothing, 
however,  and  should  have  gone  on  my  way  supremely 
unconscious  of  anything  unusual  but  for  an  incident 
at  the  telegraph  office. 

I  went  to  send  a  message  to  my  sister  in  Crudenstadt 
announcing  my  arrival,  and  a  traveller  who  had  just 
handed  in  a  message  at  the  small  window  moved  away 


AT  CRUDENSTADT  187 

as  I  approached  with  my  written  telegram.  There  was 
a  moment's  delay  and  then  the  telegraph-clerk  came 
back  to  the  window  and  laid  a  telegram  before  me. 
"You  have  made  a  mistake  here,"  he  rapped  out,  ob- 
viously taking  me  for  the  man  who  had  just  left,  and 
pointed  to  it  with  his  pencil. 

"  It  is  not  my  message,"  I  said,  and  he  snatched  it 
up  again  with  a  quick,  angry  exclamation. 

But  I  could  not  help  reading  the  contents  of  the 
message,  and  saw  to  my  profound  astonishment  that 
it  concerned  me  and  reported  that  I  had  crossed  from 
Dover,  was  going  to  Crudenstadt,  and  that  the  sender 
was  going  on  by  the  same  train.  It  was  addressed  to 
"  Margravine,  London."  I  handed  in  my  message  and 
then  hurried  out  in  search  of  the  man  who  had  sent  the 
other. 

I  found  him  without  any  difficulty ;  he  was  in  fact 
waiting  outside  for  me  in  a  conveniently  shaded  corner, 
and  I  went  straight  up  to  him.  It  was  obviously  use- 
less for  me  to  attempt  any  longer  to  conceal  my  move- 
ments. 

"  I  should  like  a  word  with  you,"  I  said,  bluntly. 
He  was  a  little  whipper-snapper  of  a  fellow,  thin  and 
feeble,  and  I  think  he  was  a  good  deal  afraid.  He 
muttered  some  gibberish,  threw  up  his  hands,  turned 
very  pale  and  pretended  not  to  be  able  to  even  speak 
English. 

"  You  write  a  very  good  English  hand  and  no  doubt 
can  speak  it  just  as  well.  Be  good  enough  not  to  try 
and  fool  me.  You  have  just  sent  off  a  telegram  about 
me,  you  are  spying  on  my  movements,  and  I  wish  to 
know  on  whose  instructions  you  are  acting.  I  don't 
blame  you  for  being  a  spy ;  it's  nothing  to  me  what 


188  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

you  are ;  but  I  intend  to  know  who  has  set  you  to  fol- 
low me.     Will  you  tell  me  without  any  trouble." 

He  made  a  number  of  fresh  grimaces,  flung  his  arms 
about  in  protest,  and  mumbled  more  gibberish. 

"  Oh,  you  mean  you  would  rather  not  tell  me  on  the 
platform.  Very  well ;  "  and  I  slipped  my  arm  through 
his,  held  him  as  in  a  vice,  and  called  Wilson  to  take 
his  other  arm.  "This  gentleman  has  a  fancy  to  go 
our  way,  Wilson,  and  he  will  travel  in  the  same  com- 
partment. I  have  a  first-class  compartment  reserved," 
I  said  to  the  fellow  whose  puny  limbs  were  now  trem- 
bling with  fright ;  "  and  you  can  run  to  Cologne  with 
us — if  you  reach  as  far;  for  I  swear  to  you  on  my 
honour  I'll  have  the  truth  out  of  you  if  I  have  to 
choke  you  in  the  getting  of  it."  I  muttered  this  last 
in  a  tone  that  a  melo-dramatic  villain  might  have  en- 
vied ;  and  it  had  due  effect. 

"  What  do  you  wish  to  know,  Sir  Stanley  ? "  he 
quavered. 

"  That's  better,"  said  I,  relaxing  my  grip  of  him  some- 
what.    "  Quick,  now  ;  in  whose  employ  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  servant  of  the  German  Embassy,  sir,"  he 
said. 

"  Prove  it,"  I  rapped  out ;  and  fumbling  in  his  pock- 
ets he  brought  out  a  number  of  papers  and  letters 
showing  his  name  to  be  Adolphe  Guerre,  a  Swiss,  re- 
tained as  a  sort  of  interpreter  and  detective  at  the 
German  Embassy  in  London.  It  was  a  relief  to  find 
at  any  rate  that  he  was  not  one  of  Count  von  Kron- 
heim's  creatures.  "  To  whom  did  you  send  off  that 
wire  just  now?"  I  asked. 

"  To  London,  sir."  He  was  thoroughly  frightened, 
and  answered  promptly,  but  with  trembling  lips. 


AT  CRUDENSTADT  189 

"  Well,  I've  had  enough  of  your  company,  M.  Guerre. 
I  think  you  are  too  ill  to  travel  any  further  in  the 
same  train,  or  you  will  soon  become  so,  you  under- 
stand ?  You  are  trembling  now,  you  see.  You  have 
done  your  work  well  enough,  and  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  stop  here  at  Ostend  instead  of  shadowing 
me  any  farther.  Wilson,  you  will  see  that  M.  Guerre 
remains  behind,  and  if  you  have  any  difficulty  let  me 
know." 

I  went  off  then  to  my  seat,  and  when  we  steamed 
out  of  the  station,  we  left  the  little  Swiss  standing  on 
the  platform  staring  disconcertedly  after  us. 

On  the  whole,  the  incident  was  a  relief  rather  than 
an  embarrassment.  I  did  not  much  care  about  the 
Ambassador's  knowing  that  I  was  going  to  Cruden- 
stadt.  I  had  feared  lest  von  Kronheim  might  get 
wind  of  my  movements,  and  learn  that  I  was  in  pur- 
suit. Compared  with  that,  any  action  the  authorities 
of  Saxe-Lippe  might  take  was  unimportant.  But  I 
resolved  nevertheless  to  alter  my  route  lest  any  attempt 
should  be  made  to  interfere  with  me  at  the  frontier, 
or  at  least  to  follow  me ;  and  I  therefore  entered  the 
Duchy  by  a  round-about  route. 

The  moment  I  was  across  the  frontier  my  spirits 
began  to  rise.  I  was  getting  to  close  quarters  with 
such  danger  as  there  might  be  in  the  undertaking,  and 
was  once  again  within  the  sphere  of  action ;  and  the 
knowledge  braced  my  nerves  and  energies  and  dissi- 
pated the  self-distrust  which  had  momentarily  shaken 
me  on  my  journey. 

I  arrived  without  interruption  at  my  sister's  house, 
and  she  was  as  delighted  as  she  was  surprised  at  my 
visit.     But  her  husband,  whom  I  had  cordially  disliked 


T90  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

from  the  hour  we  had  first  met,  was  as  stolid  and  un- 
gracious as  ever.  I  could  not  afford  now,  for  Celia's 
sake,  to  make  any  unnecessary  enemy,  and  I  tried  to 
force  into  my  manner  towards  him  some  appearance  of 
warmth. 

"  You  have  come  on  political  business,  of  course," 
said  my  sister,  after  a  few  minutes,  "  and  were  expected 
earlier." 

"What  makes  you  think  that?"  I  asked,  seeing  she 
had  a  very  good  reason  for  the  question. 

"  Because  General  von  Eckerstein  has  already  sent 
once  and  been  himself  for  you.  You  should  feel 
honoured.  He  is  our  all-powerful  minister  just  now. 
I  was  quite  proud." 

"Were  you?"  I  replied,  drily  ;  and  I  thought  I  could 
catch  the  outline  of  a  dry  smile  on  her  husband's  dark, 
sombre  face.  "  I  did  not  expect  quite  so  speedy  a 
welcome,"  I  added. 

"  It  must  be  very  important,"  said  Alice. 

"  I've  no  doubt  it  must,"  I  agreed.  "  But  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact  I  have  no  political  mission  at  all." 

"  Perhaps  it  concerns  the  great  question  of  the  hour 
in  Saxe-Lippe — the  succession  ?  "  suggested  my  brother 
in-law,  with  a  glance. 

"  I  am  scarcely  likely  to  become  a  claimant  for  the 
throne,"  I  replied,  smiling.  "  Is  that  the  great  ques- 
tion ?  How  does  it  stand  then  ?  "  I  continued,  indiffer- 
ently. 

"  Unless  rumour  lies  we  may  well  come  to  you  for 
news,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  answered,  ungraciously. 

"  Then  perhaps  you  are  right  and  your  all-powerful 
minister  has  been  misled  by  the  rumour ; "  and  I 
lawghed. 


AT  CRUDENSTADT  191 

"  You  will  soon  know,  for  I  heard  his  carriage  draw 
up  at  that  moment."  He  was  right,  and  a  servant  came 
to  say  that  His  Excellency  General  Graf  von  Ecker- 
stein  desired  to  see  Sir  Stanley  Meredith. 

"  News  travels  fast  in  Crudenstadt,  and  he  has  been 
quick  to  learn  my  arrival  here,"  I  said  with  a  meaning 
glance,  half-suspecting  how  the  news  had  been  conveyed, 
and  I  followed  the  servant  to  the  room  where  the  min- 
ister was  awaiting  me. 

He  was  a  smart,  dapper-looking,  well  set  up,  grey 
little  man  in  uniform,  with  a  fierce  moustache,  and 
black  beady  eyes  that  took  careful  note  of  everything 
about  me  with  one  sharp  glance.  He  advanced  to  meet 
me  and  held  out  his  hand  with  a  smile. 

"  I  am  charmed  to  meet  you,  Sir  Stanley,  as  the 
heir  and  successor  of  one  whose  services  at  a  critical 
point  of  our  history  the  Duchy  of  Saxe-Lippe  will  not 
readily  forget.  And  the  more  especially  because  I  am 
assured  that  you  come  to  us  with  the  most  friendly 
intentions.  The  German  Embassy  has  made  me 
acquainted  with  the  object  of  your  visit  to  us  and  I  am 
only  too  anxious  to  have  your  help.  Let  me  welcome 
you  to  Crudenstadt." 

"  It  is  very  gratifying  to  receive  so  cordial  a  wel- 
come on  the  threshold  of  my  visit,"  I  said,  quietly,  as 
I  shook  his  hand.  "  I  have  to  thank  Count  Bursten 
for  his  attentions  on  the  journey,  as  well  as  his  fore- 
thought in  preparing  such  a  reception  for  me ;  "  and  I 
looked  him  straight  in  the  face. 

"  Ah  !  yes,  you  mean  the  little  formality  by  which 
he  assured  himself  of  your  route." 

"  Did  your  Excellency  say  formality  or  informal- 
ity ?  "  I  asked,  with  a  careful  accent  on  the  words.    He 


192  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

smiled  airily  and  threw  the  question  on  one  side  with 
a  gesture. 

"  What  matter,  Sir  Stanley?  surely  we  need  not  dis- 
cuss that  now.  I  welcome  you  because  I  understand 
you  have  most  valuable  information  concerning  the 
young  Duchess  Celia's  whereabouts,  and  that  you  can 
impart  it  to  me  !  " 

"From  whom  do  you  understand  that?"  I  put  the 
question  blandly. 

"  Is  it  true  ?  "  he  flashed,  accompanying  the  question 
with  a  penetrating  look.  But  I  was  in  no  hurry  to 
assure  him. 

"  Before  I  reply  to  that  question  I  would  suggest  the 
desirability  of  your  telling  me  just  how  the  matter 
stands  here  in  Crudenstadt  in  regard  to  the  young 
Duchess." 

"  Surely  there  can  be  no  difficulty  whatever  in  your 
giving  me  all  the  information  in  your  possession  ;  that 

is  if  you  come  in  a  friendly  spirit.     If  not "     He 

raised  his  eyebrows  and  shrugged  his  shoulders  signifi- 
cantly. 

"  If  not  ?  "  I  repeated. 

"Well,  if  not,  you  must  come  either  with  some  hos- 
tile intent,  or  in  the  hope  of  carrying  out  a  project  that 
you  must  excuse  me  for  calling  selfish." 

"  You  mean  ?  "  I  threw  in  sharply,  when  he  paused. 

"  I  refer  to  an  impossible  projected  marriage  that  I 
hoped  had  been  abandoned." 

"  And  in  that  event,  what  then  ?  " 

"We  are  counted  a  pleasant  and  hospitable  people, 
Sir  Stanley,  but,  of  course,  there  are  limits.  We  do 
not  take  to  our  hearts  those  who  contemplate  wound- 
ing us  in  a  fatal  spot." 


AT  CRUDENSTADT  193 

"  In  plainer  words,  you  would  turn  me  out  of  the 
Duchy  ?  "  I  said  bluntly,  but  with  a  smile. 

"  In  plain  terms  your  continued  presence  here  would 
be  impossible." 

"  And  if  I  should  refuse  to  go  ?  " 

"You  would  not  refuse." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  should  refuse  flatly,"  I  said, 
firmly. 

"  You  would  be  very  ill-advised,  and  we  should  either 
have  to  place  you  across  the  frontier,  or  request  the 
British  representative  to  procure  your  departure.     It 

would  pain  us  to   take  such  a  course,   but "  and 

again  he  finished  his  sentence  with  one  of  his  signifi- 
cant gestures. 

"  It  strikes  me,"  I  said  after  a  pause,  "  that  yours  is 
a  very  rough  and  ready  diplomacy.  Because  I  will  not 
tell  you  what  I  don't  know,  you  would  turn  out  of 
your  country  the  only  man  who  may  be  able  to  save 
the  young  Duchess  Celia  from  a  very  ugly  fate.  But 
at  least  you've  been  frank  with  me,  and  I'll  be  frank 
with  you  in  turn.  I  don't  yet  know  for  certain  any- 
thing that  it  would  help  you  to  know,  and  if  I  did  I 
would  only  tell  it  you  on  two  conditions — one  that 
the  man  principally  concerned  in  the  young  Duchess's 
detention  should  come  to  no  harm,  and  the  other,  that 
both  the  Duchess  Celia  and  I  are  left  absolutely  free 
to  act  as  we  please  in  regard  to  our  projected  mar- 
riage." 

He  listened  earnestly  to  every  word,  and  at  the  close 
started  in  apparent  amazement  at  my  outspokenness." 

"  Do  you  mean "  he  began,  and  stopped. 

"  Yes,  every  syllable  of  every  word  I've  said.  My 
cousin — for  Celia  has  always  been  regarded  by  my  sis- 
J3 


194  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

ters  and  myself  as  a  cousin,  and  she  is  my  cousin  first, 
and  the  young  Duchess  a  long  way  afterwards.  My 
cousin  Celia  and  I  stand  pledged  to  marry,  and  my 
part  of  that  pledge  neither  you  nor  any  man  must  ask 
me  to  break.  If  you  can  stop  the  marriage,  or  if  you 
can  prevail  upon  my  cousin  to  renounce  it,  you  are  of 
course  at  liberty  to  do  so.  But  give  a  pledge  or  even 
suggestion,  that  I  will  not  marry  her  if  she  will  marry 
me,  I  will  not,  your  Excellency,  not  for  all  the  consid- 
erations under  the  sun.  I  have  come  out  in  search  of 
her,  because  I  love  her  and  she  loves  me,  and  we  are 
betrothed  to  one  another.  I  mean  to  find  her,  and 
find  her  I  will,  put  what  obstacles  you  may  please  in 
the  way.  And  when  I  have  found  her,  I'll  make  her 
my  wife  if  the  means  can  be  found  to  do  it,  and  she 
remains  of  the  same  mind  in  which  she  was  before  she 
was  taken  from  my  care." 

I  spoke  quite  quietly,  but  with  absolute  firmness,  and 
looked  for  an  outburst  of  anger  ;  but  instead  of  it,  the 
minister  smiled  very  frankly  and  put  out  his  hand. 

"  You  are  a  brave  and  honourable  man,  Sir  Stanley, 
and  on  my  honour  I  would  help  you  if  I  could.  But 
believe  me  this  must  not  be,  must  not  be.  I  have 
daughters  of  my  own,  and  I  trust  Heaven  will  send 
them  as  gallant  men  as  yourself  when  their  marriage 
time  comes.  I  am  not  surprised  the  young  Duchess 
loves  you.  But  I  must  be  your  enemy  if  you  persist. 
Come,  sit  down  and  let  us  talk  it  over,"  and  he  drew 
up  a  chair. 

"  I  will  talk  as  long  as  you  like,"  said  I,  sitting  down 
also  ;  "  but  nothing  will  change  me." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

NEWS     FROM    KATRINE 

The  discussion  between  General  von  Eckerstein  and 
myself  was  very  lengthy  and  to  me  absorbingly  inter- 
esting. He  tried  every  method  at  his  command  to  in- 
duce me  to  yield  to  his  wishes,  tell  him  where  Celia 
was  to  be  found,  renounce  all  idea  of  marrying  her, 
and  join  hands  with  him  in  putting  the  succession 
question  on  a  firm  footing.  He  flattered,  cajoled, 
persuaded,  argued,  and  threatened  in  turn  ;  but  he 
would  not  promise  to  protect  Katrine's  lover  on  the 
one  hand,  and  on  the  other  he  declared  over  and  over 
again  that  any  thought  of  marriage  for  Celia  and  my- 
self was  impossible. 

He  brought  up  the  battery  of  threats  last. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  range  yourself  against  us,  for  I 
would  do  much  to  serve  your  interests  ;  but  you  drive 
me  to  act,  and  I  am  compelled  to  tell  you  that  you 
must  leave  the  Duchy.  Don't  make  it  necessary  for 
us  to  resort  to  any  measures  of  compulsion,  but  be 
advised  and  go.  Will  you  ?  "  he  asked  as  he  held  out 
his  hand. 

"  I  think  you  will  make  a  generous  antagonist, 
General,  and  as  you  have  more  than  once  referred  to 
the  claims  my  family  have  upon  the  goodwill  of  your 
Government,  I  trust  you  will  remember  them  now. 
Frankly,  if  I  were  to  go  openly,  it  would  only  be  to 
return  secretly.     I  am  prepared  for  any  consequences." 

'95 


196  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  My  agents  are  not  likely  to  be  so  long  suffering 
as  myself,"  said  the  old  man,  significantly. 

"  Neither  should  I  be  so  frank  with  them,"  and  I 
laughed.  "  I  will  make  a  pretence  of  going  if  you 
wish,  but  I  shall  not  go  so  long  as  Celia  remains  in  this 
danger." 

He  frowned  with  a  gesture  of  annoyance. 

"  Then  you  will  drive  me  to  force,  Sir  Stanley." 

"  As  you  please,"  I  said  ;  and  with  that  the  interview 
ended. 

I  was  disappointed  at  the  result.  I  had  of  course 
known  that  the  Minister  would  oppose  our  marriage 
with  all  his  force,  but  I  had  counted  upon  his  help  in 
checkmating  von  Kronheim.  I  had  pointed  out  to 
him  the  fact  that  if  we  rescued  her,  Celia  would  be  in 
the  Duke's  power  and  out  of  the  range  of  my  personal 
influence.  But  he  would  not  help  me  and  no  argument 
of  mine  could  induce  him  to  promise  immunity  for  von 
Kronheim. 

This  refusal  filled  me  with  inexpressible  indignation. 
Not  that  I  did  not  know  he  richly  deserved  to  be 
punished  :  indeed  I  myself  had  a  heavy  score  yet  to 
reckon  with  him.  But  the  deliberate  refusal,  despite 
my  pleading,  to  make  Celia's  safety  the  first  consider- 
ation appeared  to  me  alike  monstrous  in  its  unwisdom 
and  in  its  gross  callousness.  It  hardened  me  against 
the  Government,  showing  as  it  did  how  entirely  they 
were  prepared  to  regard  Celia  as  a  piece  in  their  State 
games  to  be  utilised  for  certain  purposes,  but  utilised 
only  as  their  sense  of  expediency  suggested. 

It  was  clear,  therefore,  that  I  should  be  left  to  my 
own  resources  and  expedients  ;  and  the  prospect  was 
serious.     This    started    another    suggestion.     It  was 


NEWS  FROM  KATRINE  197 

practically  certain  that  von  Kronheim  would  have  suf- 
ficient channels  of  information  in  Crudenstadt  to  keep 
him  thoroughly  posted  in  the  progress  of  matters 
there.  He  would  thus  learn  of  my  arrival,  and  it  was  a 
question  whether  it  would  not  be  prudent  for  me  to 
pretend  to  comply  with  the  Government  request  to  quit, 
and  then  go  into  hiding  and  carry  on  my  plans  in  secret. 

Celia's  captor  would  probably  rub  his  hands  in  glee 
at  the  apparent  irony  of  a  State  intervention  to  remove 
what  he  would  consider  the  most  serious  obstacle  to 
his  schemes  ;  while  I  could  mature  my  plan  and  swoop 
down  upon  him  with  all  the  greater  effect. 

The  Government  lost  no  time  in  acting,  and  within 
an  hour  of  the  General's  visit  I  received  a  peremptory 
request  that  I  would  leave  the  Duchy.  I  was  glad  of 
it  and  showed  it  with  a  laugh  to  my  sister  and  her 
husband,  and  when  she  and  I  were  alone  I  took  her  as 
much  into  my  confidence  as  necessary. 

"  I  am  going  to  obey  the  request,  Alice,  and  it  is 
better  that  you  should  know  no  more  of  my  plans.  My 
servant,  Wilson,  will  leave  with  me,  but  he  will  return 
to  Crudenstadt.  I  am  expecting  a  confidential  com- 
munication to  come  through  you  ;  and  if  anything 
comes  give  it  to  him  instantly.  But  say  nothing  of 
this  to  anyone — not  even  to  your  husband." 

"  You  don't "  she  began  quickly,  with  a  protest  in 

voice  and  manner,  when  I  hastened  to  interpose. 

"  No,  I  don't  suppose  for  a  moment  that  he  would 
breathe  a  word  ;  but  this  is  not  my  secret  and  no  one 
but  you  yourself  must  know — even  so  much  as  this. 
It  is  very  serious,"  I  added,  impressively.  "  Issues  of 
life  and  death  may  turn  upon  your  doing  implicitly 
what  I  say." 


198  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Influenced  by  my  manner  and  earnest  words  she 
gave  me  the  necessary  promise  ;  and  when  her  husband 
came  in  I  told  him  merely  that  I  was  going  to  leave 
the  Duchy,  and  I  took  him  with  me  to  the  railway,  so 
that  he  should  see  me  start,  hear  me  take  my  ticket  for 
Berlin,  and  be  able  to  report  the  facts,  should  he  wish 
to  do  so. 

I  did  not  travel  very  far,  however,  and  the  same 
night  I  was  back  in  Crudenstadt  and  had  taken  up  my 
abode  in  an  obscure  hotel  as  an  English  tourist  under 
the  slightly  disguised  name  of  Mr.   Stanhope. 

I  knew  that  Katrine  would  communicate  with  me 
soon,  and  was  indeed  not  without  anxiety  that  noth- 
ing had  come  from  her  already.  Von  Kronheim's 
party  must  have  arrived  in  Saxe-Lippe  fully  twenty 
four  hours  before  me,  despite  the  haste  with  which  I 
had  travelled  ;  and  I  had  half  hoped  to  find  some  news 
from  her  awaiting  me  on  my  arrival. 

It  came  on  the  following  afternoon,  when  Wilson 
brought  me  a  letter  which  had  arrived  for  me  under 
cover  to  my  sister.  It  was  from  Katrine;  and  its  tone 
argued  her  great  distraction  of  mind  as  clearly  as  it 
showed  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome. 

"  We  are  here  in  Mempach,  in  a  house  called  Blumen- 
feld.  It  is  a  lonely  place  about  a  mile  out  of  the  vil- 
lage on  the  road  farthest  from  Crudenstadt.  It  is  a 
large  solitary  house  and  strongly  guarded  by  Karl's  men 
and  friends.  I  don't  know  what  to  do.  I  am  afraid 
you  can  do  nothing  alone ;  but  I  will  not  have  Karl 
given  over  to  his  enemies.  The  plan  of  the  marriage 
is  going  forward  rapidly  ;  but  it  shall  not  be.  It  shall 
not  be,  I  swear,  even  if  I (these  last  words  were 


NEWS  FROM  KATRINE  199 

partially  obliterated  and  the  writing  very  wild  and 
scarcely  legible).  If  you  can  do  anything,  come  here 
at  once.  I  will  watch  for  you  and  let  you  into  the 
house  and  try  to  help  Celia  to  escape.  It  is  all  I  can 
think  of,  but  we  must  try  it.  I  will  not  have  Karl  be- 
trayed to  his  enemies.  I  will  not ;  nothing  shall  make 
me.  But  I  am  beside  myself  when  I  think  of  it  all. 
Come  at  once. 

"  K.  B." 

I  read  the  letter  two  or  three  times  seeking  to  get 
at  the  full  meaning  which  lay  between  the  lines.  The 
poor  girl  wrote  like  one  out  of  her  senses;  and  the 
writing  was  here  slow  and  laboured,  there  rapid  and 
all  but  illegible,  all  through  full  of  erasures,  as  though 
she  had  stopped  herself  in  the  act  of  setting  down  im- 
pulsively her  wild  thoughts. 

She  was  conscious  that  she  had  set  me  an  all  but 
impossible  task — to  rescue  Celia  without  assistance — 
and  yet  was  impelled  by  her  strange  infatuation  for 
this  scoundrel  to  enforce  the  restriction.  But  what- 
ever the  difficulties  might  be,  it  was  certain  that  I 
must  answer  the  appeal  at  once. 

Mempach  was  a  small  village  about  twelve  miles  out  of 
Crudenstadt,  and  I  deemed  it  best  to  go  there  by  road 
rather  than  by  train.  I  rode  and  Wilson  drove  a  light 
gig,  so  that  in  the  event  of  my  rescuing  Celia,  we 
should  be  able  to  get  her  away  quickly. 

On  my  way  out  of  the  place,  I  considered  very  care- 
fully my  best  course  ;  and  I  could  see  nothing  for  it 
but  to  take  my  chance  of  a  surprise  visit.  It  appeared 
hopeless  to  attempt  to  communicate  with  Katrine. 
The  house  was  sure  to  be  watched  and  guarded  with 


200  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

sufficient  vigilance  to  prevent  my  establishing  any 
secret  communications  with  her  ;  while  even  if  I  did 
so  successfully,  she  herself  was  more  than  doubtful  of 
being  able  to  place  Celia  into  my  hands. 

I  had  my  own  reasons,  moreover,  for  not  wishing  to 
make  more  noise  over  the  affair  than  was  actually 
necessary.  I  had  no  taste  for  melodrama  of  any  kind  ; 
and  my  great  object  was  to  get  Celia  away  with  the 
least  possible  disturbance  ;  so  that  we  could  hurry  out 
of  the  country  and  back  to  England.  As  soon  as  I 
had  found  out  which  was  the  house,  I  drew  rein  and 
called  to  my  servant. 

"  I  am  going  to  that  house,  Wilson,  and  I  expect  to 
find  Miss  Celia  there.  If  all  goes  well,  I  shall  soon  be 
out  again  and  she  will  be  with  me.  You  must  find 
some  place  where  you  can  fasten  the  horses  and  be 
within  earshot  to  bring  them  up  the  instant  I  call. 
You  must  wait  for  me  however  long  I  may  be — all 
through  the  night  if  need  be  ;  but  don't  go  away  un- 
less either  Miss  Celia  herself  or  I  come  out  to  you.  If 
she  should  come,  do  whatever  she  tells  you  ;  otherwise 
wait  for  me." 

Although  I  had  a  keen  distaste  for  melodrama,  I  was 
not  blind  to  the  fact  that  I  was  running  a  considerable 
risk  in  venturing  alone  into  the  house  where  von  Kron- 
heim  was  contemplating  the  execution  of  his  plan.  I 
had  taken  the  precaution  of  providing  myself  with  a 
revolver  therefore,  and  as  I  approached  the  gloomy 
sombre  place  I  was  glad  I  had  done  so. 

It  was  a  strongly  built,  square  house  of  roughly 
hewn  stone,  with  small  windows,  the  lower  ones 
barred  ;  and  in  none  of  them  was  there  a  light,  al- 
though the  dusk  had  commenced  to  gather.     A  for- 


NEWS  FROM  KATRINE  201 

midable  looking  place  enough,  and  as  I  glanced  at  the 
windows  on  the  possible  chance  of  seeing  some  signal 
from  Katrine,  I  experienced  a  singular  foreboding  of 
impending  danger. 

But  my  first  experience  was  a  stroke  of  great  luck. 
I  clanged  the  bell  and  thundered  at  the  knocker,  and 
when  a  man-servant  opened  the  door  I  stepped  in  at 
once,  as  though  I  were  expected.  To  my  surprise  the 
man  fell  into  the  same  error. 

"  You  are  the  doctor  ?  " 

"  Where  is  the  patient  ?  "  I  asked  in  the  brief  curt 
tone  of  a  busy  professional  man,  laughing  to  myself  at 
the  fortunate  chance  which  had  timed  my  arrival  at  the 
moment  a  doctor  was  expected.  The  man  showed  me 
into  a  small  room  close  to  the  wide  hall  and  begged 
me  to  wait  a  moment. 

But  this  was  not  at  all  to  my  liking  and  the  instant 
he  had  left  the  room  I  opened  the  door  and  finding 
the  hall  clear,  crossed  it  and  mounted  the  staircase. 

I  would  have  given  a  hundred  pounds  for  a  sight  of 
Katrine's  face  then,  and  when  I  reached  the  top  of  the 
stairs  I  stood  a  moment  in  sheer  perplexity  what 
to  do.  I  could  see  the  doors  of  half  a  dozen  rooms  or 
more,  but  they  were  all  shut  and  formed  so  many 
conundrums  to  me. 

The  light  was  now  dim  in  the  house,  and  no  lamps 
had  been  kindled,  so  that  if  only  I  could  have  guessed 
which  was  Celia's  room  I  could  have  made  a  dash  with 
her  for  liberty. 

It  was  no  time  to  be  squeamish,  however,  and  taking 
the  doors  as  they  came  I  knocked  lightly  and  opened 
them  in  turn.  The  first  four  were  empty  and  as  I 
paused  at  the  fifth  I  heard   men's  voices  within  and 


202  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

laughter.  The  key  was  in  the  door,  and  thinking  that 
the  fewer  men  I  had  to  deal  with  just  then  the  better, 
I  turned  it  softly. 

Just  then  I  heard  steps  cross  the  hall  below.  I 
guessed  it  was  someone  going  to  the  "  doctor,"  and 
knew  my  time  was  growing  short.  I  hurried  to  the 
next  door ;  it  opened  just  as  I  reached  it,  and  to  my 
intense  delight  Katrine  Borgen  came  out. 

Her  astonishment  on  seeing  me  was  profound.  She 
started,  stared  open-mouthed  at  me  for  a  moment,  and 
would,  I  thought,  have  uttered  a  cry  ;  but  she  recovered 
herself  very  quickly,  put  her  finger  to  her  lips  with  a 
gesture  of  warning,  closed  the  door  behind  her  and 
then  whispered  : 

"  How  did  you  get  here  ?  " 

A  moment  sufficed  for  me  to  explain  the  servant's 
mistake  as  to  the  doctor  and  that  the  mistake  was  on 
the  point  of  being  discovered  in  the  room  below.  Cun- 
ning sharpened  her  wits,  and  telling  me  to  hide  in  one 
of  the  empty  rooms,  she  ran  downstairs  and  across 
the  hall  to  the  room  where  the  servant  had  left  me. 

"Where's  that  doctor?"  I  heard  von  Kronheim's 
sharp  strident  voice  say.  "  That  fool  of  a  man  said 
he  left  him  here." 

"  He's  with  mother,  Karl,  I  found  him  here  and  took 
him  up,"  answered  Katrine,  readily. 

"  Why  did  you  do  that  ?  Haven't  I  said  often 
enough  that  I  must  see  everyone  who  comes  to  the 
house  ?  " 

"  Shall  I  go  and  fetch  him  down  to  be  inspected  ?  " 
she  asked  snappishly  and  with  a  short  dry  laugh.  "  Is 
it  more  important  for  you  to  see  him  or  for  him  to  see 
my  mother  ?  "     An  excellent  piece  of  acting. 


NEWS  FROM  KATRINE  203 

The  answer  was  an  angry  muttering  as  he  left  the 
room  and  re-crossed  the  hall.  Katrine  remained  there 
half  a  minute  and  then  singing  unconcernedly  came 
back  to  where  I  was  waiting  in  such  feverish  anxiety. 

"Where  is  Celia?"  I  asked  instantly.  "We  have 
not  a  second  to  lose.  The  real  doctor  may  arrive  at 
any  moment  and  this  trick  may  be  discovered." 

"  It  will  take  time  to  get  her  away.  The  Duchess 
watches  her  like  a  lynx,  and  that  awful  man,  Schwartz, 
is  also  on  the  look-out.  If  I  had  only  known  you 
would  be  here !  "  and  she  wrung  her  hands  help- 
lessly. 

"  You  couldn't  know  that.  So  be  quick  and  see 
what  you  can  do,"  said  I,  insistently.  "  We  may  still 
be  successful.     Quick,  which  is  her  room  ?  " 

"  On  the  floor  above ;  but  the  only  way  to  it  is  by  a 
staircase  leading  through  that  room  " — and  to  my  dis- 
may she  pointed  to  the  door  which  I  had  locked, — 
"  and  in  that  Karl  has  three  friends  always  on  guard. 
But  I  may  get  her  down,  I  will  do  my  best." 

"  Well,  be  quick,"  I  cried,  and  unlocking  the  door 
quietly,  I  stood  aside  as  she  went  in.  The  men  were 
playing  cards,  but  they  stopped  as  Katrine  entered, 
and  one  of  them  spoke  to  her  with  a  familiarity  akin 
to'insolence,  which  was  eloquent  enough  of  the  foot- 
ing she  occupied  in  the  house. 

Katrine  made  no  reply,  and  I  heard  her  run  up  a 
flight  of  stairs  as  I  turned  back  to  the  room  to  wait 
with  a  restless  impatience  that  was  barely  endurable. 
It  seemed  an  all  but  hopeless  quest,  well  as  matters 
had  gone  so  far ;  and  as  I  realised  it  I  could  have  cursed 
von  Kronheim  and  all  his  precautions. 

Even  now  that  I  was  in  the  very  house  itself,  I  was 


204  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

all  but  powerless.  I  could  not  hope  to  do  anything 
by  force,  unless  Katrine  would  relax  her  hampering 
condition ;  while  the  guardianship  of  Schwartz,  the 
lynx-eyed  vigilance  of  the  Duchess,  and  the  presence 
of  von  Kronheim's  three  friends,  threatened  to  be  more 
than  sufficient  to  thwart  any  efforts  of  mine  which 
cunning  could  prompt. 

More  than  that,  I  had  placed  myself  in  a  position 
of  possibly  extreme  embarrassment  by  the  manner  in 
which  I  had  entered  the  house.  The  moment  the  real 
doctor  arrived,  the  trick  by  which  I  had  gained  admis- 
sion would  be  discovered,  and  I  should  find  myself 
compromised  in  a  degree  which  von  .Kronheim  would 
know  well  enough  how  to  turn  to  my  discomfiture. 

These  and  a  hundred  other  disquieting  thoughts 
chased  each  other  through  my  mind  as  I  waited,  and 
the  minutes  of  Katrine's  absence  lingered  like  hours 
until  every  nerve  in  my  body  tingled  with  fretful  irri- 
tation, and  I  was  at  length  driven  to  risk  everything 
and  commence  a  search  for  Celia  by  myself.  I  could 
not  keep  quiet  a  moment  longer. 

I  crept  out  on  to  the  landing-place  on  a  scouting  ex- 
pedition, when  I  heard  a  sound  that  made  my  heart 
stop  and  then  rush  on  wildly  with  excitement. 

"  Good-evening,  gentlemen."  It  was  Celia's  voice, 
and  I  heard  the  men  in  the  room  move  and  murmur  a 
reply,  and  the  next  moment  the  door  was  opened  as 
I  drew  back  hastily  to  my  shelter. 

How  she  had  accomplished  it,  I  know  not,  but  Kat- 
rine had  brought  Celia  from  her  prison,  and  an  instant 
later  the  two  came  out  into  the  corridor,  Katrine  throw- 
ing back  a  jest  to  one  of  the  men  and  speaking  with  a 
light  raillery  that  was  a  splendid  mask  for  the  serious- 


NEWS  FROM  KATRINE  205 

ness  of  the  crisis.  In  the  laugh  that  followed,  she 
locked  the  door. 

When  Celia  and  I  were  once  more  side  by  side,  hands, 
eyes  and  hearts  too,  rushed  together  for  the  moment 
that  was  far  too  full  for  any  words.  She  was  looking 
well ;  beautiful,  radiant,  confident  and  full  of  courage 
as  ever. 

"  I  knew  you  would  come,  Stanley,"  she  murmured, 
with  such  a  trusting,  happy  smile  that  set  me  longing 
to  kiss  her.  But  it  was  no  time  for  such  demonstra- 
tions. 

"  There  is  not  a  moment  to  lose,"  cried  Katrine,  who- 
was  now  very  pale  and  trembling.  "  I  will  run  down 
first  and  see  that  the  way  is  clear;  "  and  she  hastened 
on  in  front. 

Celia  and  I  were  hand  in  hand  ;  she  was  smiling  and 
quite  calm  and  cool.  I  confess  I  was  not.  I  was  too 
full  of  excitement  even  to  appear  cool.  I  was  half 
dizzied  by  the  sudden  lifting  from  the  depth  of  despair 
to  the  height  of  confidence.  Everything  had  gone  well 
and  another  moment  would  see  us  out  of  the  house. 
Celia  free  and  once  more  in  my  care.  Katrine  reached 
the  top  of  the  broad  square  staircase,  when  she  stopped 
suddenly. 

"  Karl  !  "  she  whispered,  and  held  up  her  hand  ;  and 
we  stood  breathless  as  his  heavy  tread  crossed  the  hall 
from  one  room  to  another.  It  was  a  moment  of  grim 
suspense,  and  the  sense  of  danger  steadied  me  instantly. 
Knowing  the  risk  that  at  any  moment  someone  might 
come  upon  us  from  behind  or  might  raise  the  alarm  in 
that  locked  room,  I  signed  to  Katrine  to  run  down  at 
once,  and  open  the  door  for  us  to  take  our  chance. 
She  hesitated  and  for  half  a  minute  she  stood  listening; 


206  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

and  peering  to  ascertain  whether  von  Kronheim  was 
coming  back. 

The  delay  was  fatal.  There  came  a  loud  knocking 
at  the  front  door,  and  clanging  of  the  bell. 

"  The  doctor,"  cried  Katrine,  with  a  great  catching 
of  the  breath,  as  she  reeled  and  had  to  steady  herself 
by  the  balustrade  rail. 

"  Come,  Celia,"  I  whispered,  and  we  ran  down  the 
stairs  to  the  door. 

As  we  neared  the  bottom  von  Kronheim  who  was 
standing  in  the  doorway  of  one  of  the  rooms  caught 
sight  of  me,  and  with  a  loud  oath  and  cry  came  rushing 
forward. 

I  drew  my  revolver.  "  Out  of  the  way.  Don't  you 
dare  to  try  and  stop  me,"  I  cried  fiercely  and  levelled 
the  weapon  at  his  head. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE   CHALLENGE 

For  an  instant  von  Kronheim  stood  staring  at  me 
half  afraid,  half  defiant,  and  then  he  showed  signs  of 
giving  way. 

"  You  won't  murder  me  in  my  own  house  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  Stand  aside,  or  take  the  consequences,"  was  my 
reply,  hotly  spoken.  His  motive  was  to  gain  time — 
mine  to  get  away.  If  Celia  and  I  were  not  outside 
before  the  men  upstairs  could  break  open  the  door,  at 
which  they  were  now  battering  and  kicking  violently, 
we  should  not  escape  at  all. 

Von  Kronheim  glanced  up  the  staircase  in  angry  and 
anxious  impatience,  and  then  back  to  me. 

"  They  are  caged  in  your  own  patent  gaol,"  I  said, 
"  and  you  may  look  in  vain  for  their  coming  ;  "  but  at 
that  moment  I  heard  ominous  sounds  of  the  door  above 
splintering  and  giving  way  under  their  attack,  and  I 
knew  there  was  not  a  moment  more  to  lose. 

"  You  can  shoot  me  if  you  please,  Sir  Stanley,  but 
you  shall  not  pass  here,"  said  von  Kronheim,  gathering 
his  courage  and  resolution.  "  It  will  be  murder."  And 
he  stood  by  the  door  and  barred  our  way." 

"  Is  there  any  other  way  out  of  this  house?"  I  asked 
Celia,  for  I  was  all  loth  to  fire  in  cold  blood. 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  answered.  "  Count  von  Kron- 
heim, you  will  surely  let  us  pass,"  she  added,  to  him. 

207 


208  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

I  turned  to  Katrine  for  the  information,  but  in  her 
lover's  presence  she  seemed  helpless. 

"  I  would  do  anything  else  for  you,  Celia,  but  this  is 
impossible,"  he  said. 

"You  drive  me  to  this,  then,"  I  cried.  "I  would 
rather  avoid  any  trouble  of  the  kind,  but  Celia's  liberty 
is  everything  to  me,  and  if  you  don't  move  away  I  shall 
fire."  I  spoke  with  such  deliberation  that  he  saw  I  was 
in  grim  earnest. 

But  Katrine  saw  this  also,  and  with  a  cry  she  threw 
herself  upon  me,  clung  to  my  right  arm  and  struggled 
for  the  possession  of  my  weapon,  her  fear  for  the  man 
she  loved  overcoming  every  other  thought  and  feeling. 

In  an  instant  the  position  was  reversed.  Surprised 
by  the  sudden  attack,  I  let  the  revolver  fall  clattering 
to  the  ground,  and  as  von  Kronheim  picked  it  up,  I 
realised  with  inexpressible  chagrin  that  the  whole 
chance  of  Celia's  escape  was  destroyed.  The  look  on 
my  antagonist's  face  changed  instantly  from  hesitating 
fear  to  malicious  triumph,  as  he  turned  on  Katrine  who 
was  exhausted  by  her  effort  now,  and  leaned  against 
the  wall  white  and  breathless,  and  said  with  a  sneer : 

"Your  repentance  comes  a  little  late,  Katrine,  but 
it's  very  useful,  none  the  less,  and  I  shan't  forget  it. 
Meanwhile,  as  the  little  drama  is  over,  hadn't  you 
better  go  back  to  your  room,  Celia,  and  leave  Sir 
Stanley  and  myself  to  settle  our  differences  together?  " 

"  I  shall  not  go  back  to  my  prison  !  "  cried  Celia, 
with  great  spirit ;  and  darting  forward  she  tried  to 
undo  the  fastening  of  the  door.  Von  Kronheim  seized 
her  arm  roughly  to  prevent  her,  and  the  sight  so  in- 
furiated me  that  in  my  turn  I  sprang  upon  him  and 
thrust  him  violently  backward.     At  the  same  moment 


THE  CHALLENGE  209 

I  heard  the  door  above  give  way,  and  the  men  from 
there  came  streaming  down  the  staircase  followed  by 
the  Duchess  Marie  and  old  Schwartz.  We  were  beaten, 
and  recognising  that  matters  had  taken  a  turn  in  which 
no  good  could  come  to  Celia  from  any  personal  en- 
counter between  von  Kronheim  and  myself,  I  threw 
him  off  and  stood  to  await  developments. 

At  that  moment  the  person  outside,  who  must  have 
been  sorely  puzzled  by  the  noise  which  we  had  made 
during  the  long  time  he  had  been  kept  waiting,  gave 
another  rousing  peal  at  the  bell  and  thundered  once 
more  impatiently  on  the  knocker. 

One  of  the  men  who  had  come  from  the  room  above 
made  a  movement  as  if  to  open  the  door,  but  von 
Kronheim,  who  in  the  midst  of  the  excitement  kept  a 
very  cool  head,  checked  him  with  a  gesture. 

"  Keep  silence,  if  you  please,  and  get  the  hall  clear. 
Go  into  the  room  there — all  of  you,"  he  said,  in  a  low, 
quick  tone.  But  Celia  was  in  no  wise  disposed  to 
obey,  and  perceiving  the  possibility  that  help  might 
come  from  the  stranger,  upset  his  plans  and  discon- 
certed him  by  sending  up  loud  cries  for  help. 

He  turned  upon  her  furiously,  and  thinking  he 
meditated  force,  I  stepped  between  them.  It  was  a 
bad  move,  for  it  allowed  the  Duchess  Marie  to  seize 
and  drag  her  away,  and  before  I  could  interfere  the 
Count's  three  associates  closed  round  me. 

"  It  is  useless  to  resist,  Sir  Stanley,"  said  von  Kron- 
heim, but  as  at  that  moment  Celia  called  to  me  in  a 
tone  of  despair,  I  shouldered  the  foremost  of  them  out 
of  my  path,  thrust  the  second  a  vigorous  blow  in  the 
face  with  my  elbow,  and  was  dashing  after  her  when 
von  Kronheim  and  the  third  man  threw  themselves 
14 


210  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

upon  me.  The  other  two  promptly  joined  them,  and 
such  a  rough-and-tumble  struggle  began  as  I  had  not 
had  since  my  football  days. 

It  was  hopeless,  of  course.  I  could  not  fight  half-a- 
dozen  men,  and  as  Schwartz  and  the  servant  also  took 
part,  I  was  compelled  to  give  in. 

But  I  did  not  yield  until  I  had  given  more  than  one 
of  them  abundant  proofs  of  my  strength  and  that  I 
knew  how  to  use  it ;  while  the  noise  we  made  as  we 
floundered  and  dashed  about  the  place,  and  the  shouts 
I  sent  up  must  have  caused  the  man  outside  to  think 
murder  was  being  done.  But  they  got  me  down  at 
last. 

"  Will  you  give  me  your  word  to  offer  no  more  re- 
sistance, Sir  Stanley?"  asked  von  Kronheim. 

"  No,  I  won't !  "  I  cried,  furiously.  "  You  are  an  in- 
fernal scoundrel  and  a  cursed  coward  to  boot ;  "  and  I 
sent  up  another  loud  shout  for  help,  until  one  of  the 
men  clapped  an  impromptu  gag  over  my  mouth,  while 
the  others  bound  my  hands  and  legs ;  and  in  this 
fashion  I  was  carried  upstairs  and  flung  on  to  a  bed, 
two  of  von  Kronheim's  men  being  left  in  the  room  to 
keep  watch. 

I  was  beaten — utterly  and  hopelessly  beaten  ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  inevitable  sting  of  humiliation  at  my  phys- 
ical defeat  subsided  and  the  wildness  of  my  rage  abated 
sufficiently  to  enable  me  to  think  collectedly,  I  realised 
with  bitter  mortification  the  rash  blunder  and  folly  of 
the  attempt  I  had  made. 

Nothing  could  have  been  more  fatuous  than  to  pro- 
voke such  an  absolutely  unequal  trial  of  strength.  The 
worst  that  von  Kronheim  could  have  done  could  not 
have  been  so  bad  as  the  result  I  had  achieved ;  and  I 


THE  CHALLENGE  211 

lay  gnashing  my  teeth  and  groaning  in  spirit  as  I  fed 
my  imagination  with  thoughts  of  what  might  have 
happened  and  how  much  better  things  might  have 
gone  had  I  kept  my  temper  and  relied  on  my  wits  in- 
stead of  my  muscles  to  defeat  my  antagonists. 

It  was  small  consolation  to  know  I  had  hurt  them 
more  than  they  had  hurt  me,  or  to  form  bitter  resolves 
to  punish  every  man  who  had  taken  part  in  my  over- 
throw. This  would  not  help  Celia ;  and  while  I  lay 
chewing  the  bitter  cud  of  failure,  heaven  alone  knew 
what  might  happen  to  her. 

The  thoughts  of  the  probably  sinister  results  to  her 
of  my  blundering  hot-headedness  was  my  most  poig- 
nant trouble  in  that  most  troubled  night.  Her  bright 
conspicuous  courage,  her  unfailing  trust  in  me,  the  love 
which  had  shone  in  her  eyes  as  she  had  greeted  me 
when  we  met,  and  the  despairing  cry  for  help  which 
had  been  the  sorrowful  dirge  of  our  parting,  all  came 
in  turn  to  plague  me  and  fill  the  cup  of  my  self-up- 
braiding and  remorse'to  overflowing. 

I  had  had  the  chance  to  save  her  and  had  failed  ;  she 
had  been  actually  in  my  hands,  and  I  had  let  her  siip 
away  ;  we  had  been  on  the  threshold  of  escape  when  I 
had  let  the  door  close  upon  her  faster  and  tighter  than 
ever.  The  very  effort  I  had  made  to  rescue  her  had 
but  added  to  the  tightness  of  the  bonds  that  held  her, 
and  had  in  all  probability  hastened  the  execution  of 
the  infamous  scheme  of  the  marriage  which  it  was  all 
in  all  to  us  to  prevent. 

I  lay  some  hours  racking  myself  with  the  tortures  of 
these  thoughts,  until  Nature  mercifully  came  to  my 
relief  and  I  fell  asleep. 

How  long  I  slept  I  do  not  know,  but  when  I  awoke 


212  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

it  was  to  find  some  one  removing  the  gag  from  my 
mouth,  while  another  man  unfastened  the  cords  that 
bound  my  hands  and  legs.  This  was  being  done  by 
von  Kronheim's  orders,  who  stood  watching  while  they 
were  carried  out. 

"You  can  leave  us  and  wait  in  the  corridor.  If  you 
hear  me  call,  come  at  once,"  he  told  them  ;  and  as  soon 
as  we  were  alone  he  said  to  me : 

"  I  am  sorry  you  made  this  necessary,  Sir  Stanley, 
but  you  have  only  yourself  to  blame." 

The  mere  sight  of  him  was  enough  to  give  spurs  to 
my  rage,  and  if  my  limbs  would  have  obeyed  my  will 
I  could  have  found  it  in  me  to  throw  myself  upon  him 
then  and  there  and  renew  the  struggle  on  equal  terms. 
But  the  rush  of  the  released  blood,  when  the  tight 
cords  were  taken  from  my  arms  and  legs,  robbed  me  of 
all  capacity  to  move.  And  in  the  interval  while  feel- 
ing and  power  were  returning,  I  had  time  to  reflect,  to 
see  the  uselessness  of  a  policy  of  sheer  force,  and  to 
curb  my  temper.  I  would  have  no  more  recourse  to 
violence  until  Celia  was  either  free  or  lost  to  me  for- 
ever, and  then  I  vowed  there  should  be  a  reckoning. 

I  held  my  tongue  therefore,  and  made  no  reply. 

"  You  won't  help  yourself  by  being  stubborn.  I 
have  come  to  propose  terms.  You  had  better  listen. 
I  suppose  you  can  see  now  that  violence  won't  pay  you 
any  more  than  sneaking  like  a  thief  into  my  house." 

His  tone  and  words  were  both  deliberately  provoca- 
tive, and  for  a  moment  I  did  not  see  his  object.  Un- 
scrupulous as  I  knew  him  to  be,  he  was  not  the  kind 
of  man  to  come  for  the  mere  purpose  of  jeering  and 
sneering  at  me  because  I  was  helpless. 

"  I  have  no  need  and  no  desire  to  make  any  terms 


THE  CHALLENGE  213 

with  you,"  I  answered,  and  then  by  a  curious  trick  of 
memory  something  which  until  that  instant  I  had 
entirely  forgotten  in  my  agitation,  recurred  to  me. 

The  fact  that  Wilson  was  waiting  for  me  close  to 
the  house.  When  I  did  not  appear  he  would  be  cer- 
tain to  take  some  step  or  other ;  what,  I  did  not  know, 
but  it  would  assuredly  be  something  shrewd  that  would 
bring  me  help.  "  You  don't  suppose  I  am  quite  so 
foolish  as  to  venture  in  here  without  making  due 
arrangements  to  secure  my  getting  out  again,"  I  added, 
following  up  this  thought. 

"  I  neither  know  nor  care  what  you  have  done. 
Whatever  it  is,  it  will  be  useless  for  the  purpose  of 
stopping  me." 

"  Possibly,  I  am  content  to  wait  and  see,"  I  said  curtly. 

"  You  mean  you're  content  to  wait  somewhere  else 
than  in  Saxe-Lippe,"  he  retorted,  with  a  sharp,  shrewd 
glance.  I  affected  to  shrug  my  shoulders  in  indiffer- 
ence. "  I  know  that  you  have  been  ordered  out  of  the 
Duchy,"  he  added. 

"Anywhere  is  better  than  here,"  said  I;  but  his 
knowledge  of  the  fact  irritated  me. 

"  May  be.  But  before  you  speak  so  lightly,  you  had 
better  know  more  about  what  has  happened.  I  don't 
pretend  that  this  visit  of  yours  has  been  a  welcome 
surprise,  and  it  has  necessitated  a  change  in  our  plans. 
The  Duchess  Marie  has  taken  her  daughter  away  from 
here  already,  and  I  am  going  to  join  them  where  you 
will  not  easily  find  us.  That  is  one  result.  The  sec- 
ond is,  that  my  marriage  to  Celia  will  take  place  a  little 
earlier  than  we  intended — a  pleasant  thought  for  you,  no 
doubt ;  and  if  you  decline  to  agree  to  my  terms,  I  shall 
let  the  Duke's  people  know  where  you  are  to  be  found 


214  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

so  that  you  will  be  crossing  the  frontier  in  their  charge 
while  I  am  making  Celia  my  wife.  Any  later  steps 
you  may  take  will  be  useless — too  late." 

The  man  knew  how  to  play  on  my  feelings  in  all 
truth,  and  for  the  moment  -I  was  so  mad  with  rage, 
that  I  had  to  put  the  strongest  curb  on  my  tongue, 
to  keep  back  the  angry  words  that  rushed  to  my  lips. 
But  Celia  had  already  suffered  more  than  enough 
through  my  hot-headed  folly,  and  I  made  no  answer, 
though  he  waited,  for  one  with  a  sneer. 

"  You  English  have  accommodating  tempers,  on  my 
soul ! "  he  exclaimed,  in  his  disappointment.  "  But 
when  Celia  is  once  in  my  arms  and  her  kisses  on  my 
lips,  I  may  perhaps  find  consolation  for  your  coward- 
ice— or  shall  I  call  it  prudence,  in  keeping  your  tem- 
per under  provocation  ?     Sweet  Celia  !  " 

I  could  have  choked  him  for  his  words,  but  I  saw 
his  object  now,  and  was  not  fool  enough  to  walk  into 
the  snare  he  spread  before  me.  Instead  of  fuming  I 
began  to  grow  cool  at  sight  of  the  danger  ahead. 

"  I  have  told  you  once,  before,  Count  von  Kronheim, 
that  I  would  meet  you  when  and  where  you  pleased, 
and  so  I  will  when  my  cousin's  safety  is  assured.  Until 
then,  my  life  is  not  mine  to  risk.  You  can  keep  back 
your  taunts  until  the  time  when  a  tithe  of  them  will 
be  more  than  is  needed  to  provoke  me.  Celia  will 
never  be  your  wife." 

"  A  most  prudent  Englishman,  certainly." 

"  I  have  made  one  mistake  through  losing  my  tem- 
per.    I  will  not  make  another." 

-  "  You  would  rather  be  put  across  the  border  by  the 
police  than  have  a  chance  of  freeing  her.  In  God's 
name,  a. plucky  fellow.!  "  .   . 


THE  CHALLENGE  213 

"  What  chance  do  you  mean  ?"  I  asked,  coldly. 

"  I  will  give  you  the  chance  if  you  are  not  too  much 
of  a  coward  to  take  advantage  of  it." 

"What  chance  do  you  mean?"  I  repeated  in  the 
same  level  tone. 

"  We  will  fight  for  her,"  he  cried  hotly,  his  eyes  flash- 
ing and  his  face  reddening  suddenly,  "  and  I  will  make 
you  eat  the  insults  you  heaped  on  me  in  the  recent 
struggle." 

"  Thank  you,  I  have  had  experience  of  your  methods 
of  fighting.  Put  Celia  in  safety  and  you  will  not  need 
to  seek  me." 

"  I  am  not  an  assassin,  Sir  Stanley." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  I  deliberately.  "  A 
man  who  is  coward  enough  to  kidnap  an  innocent  girl 
and  base  enough  to  put  her  in  the  charge  of  a  mad 
woman  for  his  own  foul  purposes,  is  not  very  likely  to 
stop  very  far  short  of  murder,  if  the  need  arises.  And 
you  have  done  that  and  worse." 

He  clenched  his  fist  and  raised  it  as  if  to  strike  me, 
but  started  and  checked  himself,  while  a  look  rich  in 
devilish  malice  spread  over  his  face  and  glanced  from 
his  dark  evil  eyes. 

"  Aye,  worse  than  that,  perhaps,"  he  said,  viciously, 
in  a  low  tone,  his  teeth  set  close.  "  How  much  worse 
perhaps  even  you  scarcely  guess  yet.  You  forget  how 
long  Celia,  my  Celia,  my  wife  that  is  to  be  and  despite 
all  you  can  do  shall  be,  has  been  in  my  power,  mine, 
alone  here.  My  wife  that  shall  be,  do  I  say,  rather 
my  wife  that  now — must  be." 

N :  pen  can  paint  the  look  which  accompanied  the 
words  and  their  foulness  and  evil  accomplished  his 
purpose,  for  my  passion  broke  its  bonds  and  with  a 


216  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

deep  oath  of  rage,  I  sprang  from  my  bed  and  was 
throwing  myself  upon  him  when  with  a  loud  cry  he 
called  his  companions  to  his  assistance,  and  stood  back 
with  them. 

"  I'll  choke  that  lie  in  your  throat  if  I  die  for  it,"  I 
cried. 

"  Now  will  you  fight  ?  " 

"  Yes,  where  and  as  soon  as  you  like,"  I  cried  pas- 
sionately, reckless  of  all  else  in  the  world  but  the  burn- 
ing desire  to  punish  him  for  his  foulness. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

THE   NIGHT 

The  instant  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  me  to  ac- 
cept his  challenge,  von  Kronheim's  manner  changed 
completely.  He  dropped  his  tone  of  sneering  insolence 
so  promptly  that  I  saw  it  had  been  assumed  in  order 
to  goad  me  into  fighting  him,  and  for  the  moment  I 
half  regretted  that  I  had  allowed  myself  to  be  so  stung 
into  fresh  rage  by  his  lies  as  to  have  agreed  to  fight. 

He  spoke  in  a  calm  and  level  tone,  bore  himself  with 
a  cool  self-possession  and  treated  me  with  a  studied 
and  almost  dignified  courtesy  of  manner  which  consti- 
tuted a  striking  testimony  to  his  powers  of  self-com- 
mand. 

"  This  gentleman,  Sir  Stanley  Meredith,  and  I  have 
an  old  quarrel,  gentlemen,"  he  said  to  his  two  com- 
panions, "  and  we  have  agreed  to  settle  it  here  and  now. 
Unfortunately,  Sir  Stanley  has  no  friend  with  him,  and 
circumstances  make  it  impossible  that  one  should  be 
sent  for.  I  trust  you  will  need  no  assurance  that  your 
interests  will  not  suffer  on  that  account,"  he  said,  turn- 
ing to  me.  "  These  gentlemen  are  both  well-known 
supporters  of  my  family,  Captain  von  Unger  and  Cap- 
tain von  Schimmell,  and  either  of  them  will  act  for  you 
as  honourably  as  for  me." 

The  two  men  bowed  and  twirled  their  moustaches 
as  I  looked  at  them  both  and  liked  the  appearance  of 
neither. 

217 


218  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  It  is  desirable  in  your  interests  that  in  case  any- 
thing should  happen  to  me  there  should  be  someone 
able  to  speak  to  the  facts  from  my  side,  and  as  my 
servant  is  almost  within  call,  he  had  better  be  present," 
I  replied  in  a  tone  as  level  as  von  Kronheim's.  "  He 
will  be  an  independent  witness." 

"  He  is  alone?"  he  asked,  after  a  pause. 

"  He  is  alone." 

"  I  have  your  word  that  you  will  return  with  him  at 
once  if  you  go  to  fetch  him  ?  "  Nothing  could  have 
shown  so  pungently  as  this  the  change  in  him,  or  have 
so  tended  to  restore  my  confidence  that  treachery  was 
no  longer  contemplated. 

"  Certainly,  I  will  give  you  my  word,"  I  replied. 

"  Captain  von  Unger,  will  you  see  that  Sir  Stanley 
can  leave  the  house  to  fetch  his  servant?  "  and  with  a 
bow  the  two  stood  aside  forme  to  pass,  while  the  third 
man  escorted  me  downstairs,  opened  the  front  door 
and  allowed  me  to  leave  the  house  alone. 

The  chill  night  air  cooled  me  refreshingly  as  I  walked 
quickly  to  the  gate  of  the  grounds  and  called  out  for 
Wilson.  The  faithful  fellow  was  close  at  hand  keeping 
his  vigil  patiently,  and  came  at  once. 

"  I'm  glad  it's  you,  sir,  I  hope  you  are  safe.  There 
have  been  strange  doings  in  the  house  and  I  thought 
something  must  be  the  matter  when  you  didn't  come 
and  I  saw  Miss  Celia  drive  away." 

"  I  want  you  in  the  house,  Wilson,"  I  answered. 
"  There  have  been  strange  doings  as  you  say,  and  they 
are  not  finished  yet.  What  time  is  it  ?  And  how  long 
since  Miss  Celia  left  ?  " 

"  Almost  five  hours,  sir.  It  was  just  ten  when  she 
went ;  and  it's  close  on  three  o'clock  now.     I  didn't 


THE  NIGHT  219 

know  whether  to  follow  her,  Sir  Stanley,  or,  in  fact, 
what  to  do." 

"  I  wish  you  had  ;  but  you  were  right  all  the  same 
to  obey  my  orders." 

"Thank  you,  sir.     I  was  sorely  puzzled." 

We  said  no  more  then  and  went  back  to  the  house, 
and  I  was  returning  to  the  room  upstairs  when  Captain 
von  Unger  said  : 

"If  you  wish  me  to  act  for  you,  Sir  Stanley,  I  will 
do  so  ;  and  we  can  go  into  the  room  here  to  consult." 

"  As  well  you  as  another,"  I  answered,  ungraciously, 
but  added  :  "  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  the  offer,  sir." 
He  bowed  and  led  the  way  into  one  of  the  rooms  on 
the  ground  floor. 

"  You  will  probably  desire  to  make  some  arrange- 
ments in  view  of  possibilities,  and  after  we  have  settled 
preliminaries  1  will  leave  you  alone  with  your  servant 
for  that  purpose.  You  are  the  challenged  party.  Do 
you  choose  pistols  or  swords  ?  I  presume  from  the 
turn  matters  have  taken  the  fight  will  be  a  ontrance  f  " 

"  We  will  fight  with  pistols  and  under  any  usual  con- 
ditions that  ensure  fairness  to  both  parties." 

"There  is  no  chance  of  avoiding  the  meeting?"  he 
asked,  as  though  the  question  were  little  more  than  a 
necessary  formality. 

"  None  whatever,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  I  re- 
plied. "  The  thing  has  to  go  through,  and  let  it  be 
done  as  speedily  as  possible." 

"  I  gathered  that  would  be  your  wish.  I  will  see 
von  Schimmell.  Excuse  me ;  "  and  with  a  formal  bow 
he  left  us,  Wilson  staring  after  him  in  consternation. 
His  face  was  as  pale  as  if  he  had  seen  a  ghost  when  he 
turned  to  me  and  asked  : 


220  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Are  you  going  to  fight,  Sir  Stanley  ?  " 

I  told  him  very  briefly  so  much  as  I  deemed  neces- 
sary of  what  had  led  up  to  the  meeting  with  von 
Kronheim  and  that  he  was  to  be  an  independent  wit- 
ness that  everything  was  fairly  and  honourably  done 
on  both  sides. 

Then  I  hurriedly  completed  such  preparations  as  I 
had  to  make  and  wrote  letters  which  I  gave  to  him  to 
deliver  in  the  event  of  my  being  killed. 

To  my  sisters  I  penned  very  brief  notes,  charging 
them  with  certain  requests ;  then  I  sent  my  lawyers 
instructions  as  to  certain  affairs  that  remained  unsettled, 
and  lastly  tried  to  write  to  Celia. 

This  was  the  most  difficult  task  of  the  kind  I  had 
ever  essayed.  As  I  sat  in  dire  perplexity  how  to  begin 
the  letter,  I  seemed  to  realise  something  of  the  shock 
which  the  blow  would  cause  should  the  letter  have  to 
be  delivered,  and  my  heart  failed  me  at  the  thought. 
At  last,  when  the  time  was  running  short,  I  wrote 
hurriedly: 

"  My  Dearest. 

"  I  may  call  you  that  now  surely,  for  before  you 
commence  to  read  this,  Wilson  will  have  given  you  the 
news  which  brings  the  letter  to  your  hands.  I  fear  I 
have  proved  a  sad  moral  coward  since  I  had  not  the 
courage  to  resist  certain  taunts  of  the  Count  von  Kron- 
heim, but  must  needs  rush  into  a  meeting  of  which 
this  letter  is  the  epilogue.  I  have  served  you  badly, 
Celia ;  and  as  my  uncle  foresaw,  have  proved  a  most 
indifferent  guardian  of  yourself  and  your  interests. 
Heaven  knows  it  has  not  been  through  lack  of  love 
for  you  that  I  have  blundered,  and  it  is  of  the  irony 


THE  NIGHT  221 

of  things  that  when  I  would  have  served  you  best  I 
have  served  you  worst.  My  last  word  to  you  must, 
therefore,  be  an  apology,  a  plea  for  forgiveness ;  a  re- 
gret that  my  power  to  help  and  cherish  you  has  proved 
so  wofully  short  of  my  desire  that  my  love  is  almost 
shamed.  It  is  a  small  thing  to  say  my  last  thought 
will  be  of  you — for  all  my  thoughts  are  of  and  for  you 
— of  the  love  I  bear  you  and  the  love  that  I  know  you 
bear  me.  May  God  be  good  to  you,  and  uphold  your 
brave  spirit  and  mercifully  spare  you  from  the  fate 
which  my  feeble  hands  and  wits  have  proved  so  inca- 
pable of  averting,  and,  indeed,  seem  to  have  brought 
nearer.     My  one  love,  good-bye. 

"  Stanley." 

I  did  not  stay  to  read  through  what  I  had  written, 
but  closed  the  letter  and  sealed  it,  and  placed  it  and 
the  others  in  a  large  envelope,  sealed  that,  endorsed  it, 
"  To  be  opened  only  in  the  event  of  my  death,"  and 
gave  it  to  Wilson  with  strict  instructions  how  he  was 
to  act  in  case  I  fell. 

The  good  fellow  was  much  affected.  I  knew  that  he 
was  attached  to  me ;  and  the  business  being  strange 
to  him,  he  was  very  nervous  and  had  considerable  dif- 
ficulty in  maintaining  his  self-composure. 

When  I  had  completed  my  arrangements  and  had 
given  him  all  my  last  instructions,  I  sent  him  out  of 
the  room  to  wait  by  the  door,  and  call  me  the  moment 
Captain  von  Unger  returned. 

I  do  not  think  I  was  afraid.  I  was  not  conscious  of 
any  fear,  but  I  certainly  was  full  of  regret  that  I  had 
allowed  myself  to  be  forced  into  meeting  von  Kron- 
heim  before  Celi:.'s  safety  had  been  secured.      That 


222  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

was  certainly  the  most  pungent  of  my  feelings  at  the 
moment  ;  and  could  I  have  drawn  back  with  honour 
and  have  postponed  the  fight,  I  would  certainly  have 
done  so. 

But  it  was  impossible ;  and  I  had  to  consider,  there- 
fore, how  I  should  act  towards  my  opponent.  Should 
I  do  my  best  to  kill  him  ?  I  had  no  desire  to  do  so ; 
indeed,  I  had  the  strongest  repugnance  to  the  thought 
of  taking  a  fellow-creature's  life.  My  rage  was  gone 
now,  although  the  memory  of  his  foul  words  burned  in 
my  soul  like  a  branding  iron  on  the  soft  flesh.  His 
offence  was  of  the  rankest,  and  merited  any  punish- 
ment that  could  be  inflicted.  Moreover,  I  knew  that 
he  was  bent  upon  killing  me  if  he  could,  and  however 
loath  I  was  to  spill  blood,  the  instincts  of  self-defence 
prompted  me  to  do  my  utmost. 

If  I  were  to  fire  in  the  air  and  he  were  to  miss  me, 
we  should  only  have  to  fire  again,  and  the  thing  would 
go  on  until  he  assuredly  would  kill  me  in  the  end  ;  and 
I  was  no  Quixote  to  endure  that. 

Another  thought  in  this  connection  was  the  cer- 
tainty that  if  I  were  to  kill  or  even  seriously  wound 
him,  Celia's  safety  would  be  secured,  even  if  I  myself 
fell.  Matters  had  reached  such  a  pass  in  Saxe-Lippe 
that  any  long  delay  in  von  Kronheim's  schemes  would 
certainly  cause  its  overthrow.  The  whereabouts  of  the 
Duchess  and  Celia  could  not  be  indefinitely  concealed 
from  the  Duke's  agents,  and  the  discovery  would  mean 
the  instant  collapse  of  the  scheme. 

Upon  this  reflection  came  another  that  startled  me. 
To  attempt  to  kill  my  antagonist  from  any  such  motive 
was  murder,  not  duelling.  To  go  outside  the  facts 
which  had  led  to  the  duel  for  an  incentive  to  kill  von 


THE  NIGHT  223 

Kronheim  amounted  to  murder,  and  the  thought  dis- 
concerted me  and  plunged  me  into  a  whirl  of  casuistical 
self-communing,  from  which  I  had  not  freed  myself 
when  Wilson  knocked  at  the  door  to  tell  me  of  Captain 
von  Unger's  return. 

"  Everything  is  arranged,  Sir  Stanley,"  said  the  offi- 
cer ;  "  von  Schimmell  and  I  have  settled  everything. 
The  fight  will  take  place  in  the  ball-room  of  the  house; 
a  large,  empty  room,  well  lighted,  and  we  have  made 
the  conditions  as  exactly  equal  as  possible.  Your  wit- 
ness here  will  of  course  be  present,  and  can  examine 
everything  for  himself  on  your  behalf  if  you  wish. 
Shall  we  go  there  ?  " 

I  assented  briefly  and  followed  him. 

"  You  will  each  use  your  own  revolver,"  he  told  me. 
"  And  both  weapons  are  loaded  in  one  chamber  only  ; 
the  distance  will  be  ten  paces,  and  if  after  the  first  shot 
is  fired  neither  is  hit,  the  weapons  will  be  loaded 
again,  and  the  fight  will  continue  until  one  of  you  is 
incapacitated."  He  gave  the  details  with  a  business- 
like brevity  and  directness  that  was  distinctly  wel- 
come. It  was  clear  that  he  was  no  novice  in  such 
matters. 

We  were  first  to  reach  the  room  and  a  glance  showed 
me  that  it  was  as  described,  well  enough  suited  for  the 
grim  work  that  was  to  be  done  in  it.  It  was  a  large 
square  room,  and  a  number  of  lamps  had  been  arranged 
along  each  side  of  it,  so  that  there  would  be  no  glare 
behind  either  von  Kronheim  or  myself,  either  to  help 
or  hinder  our  aim. 

"  The  fixing  of  the  lamps  caused  the  long  delay,  Sir 
Stanley,"  said  my  second,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who 
has  had  a  difficult  job  to  do  and  feels  he  has  done  it 


224  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

well.  "  It  was  awkward  to  prevent  reflections  in  some 
of  the  mirrors  from  interfering  with  the  sighting,  but 
I  think  we  have  succeeded  now.  You  will  take  your 
positions  where  those  chalk  marks  are  on  the  floor  " — 
two  large  crosses  had  been  chalked  on  the  bare  boards — 
"  and  of  course  the  choice  will  be  decided  by  toss. 
Here  is  the  Count." 

Von  Kronheim  came  in  then  with  his  second  ;  and 
I  noticed  he  had  changed  his  dress  and  in  place  of  a 
shooting  jacket  was  wearing  a  long  closely  buttoned 
frock  coat.  It  was  significant  of  his  mood  of  set  delib- 
eration to  leave  no  chance  of  success  unutilised  ;  but 
as  my  own  jacket  was  black,  there  was  no  reason  for 
complaint. 

He  bowed  very  formally  to  me,  looked  closely  at 
Wilson,  who  was  pale  and  nervous  enough  to  make  me 
half  ashamed  of  him,  and  crossed  to  the  other  side  of 
the  room.  His  second  explained  to  him  the  arrange- 
ments just  as  mine  had  to  me  and  he  bowed  his  assent 
to  them. 

The  two  seconds  then  stood  together  in  the  middle 
of  the  room  and  beckoning  Wilson  to  approach,  hand- 
ed him  a  large  silver  coin. 

"  You  will  spin  the  coin  and  let  it  fall  to  the  ground," 
said  my  man,  "  and  Captain  von  Schimmell  will  call 
while  the  coin  is  in  the  air." 

Wilson's  fingers  trembled  so  that  he  could  scarcely 
toss  the  coin  up,  and  I  saw  von  Kronheim  smile  dis- 
dainfully. But  after  a  couple  of  ineffectual  efforts  he 
sent  it  spinning  up  almost  to  the  ceiling.  "  Head  !  " 
cried  von  Schimmell,  and  then  down  it  fell  with  a  ring 
and  clatter  on  the  bare  boards  and  rolled  almost  to  my 
opponent's  feet.     Wilson  examined  it. 


THE  NIGHT  225 

"  It  is  head,  sir,"  he  said,  almost  apologetically,  as 
he  glanced  at  me,  and  picked  up  the  coin. 

"  The  Count  will  take  this  end,"  said  his  second,  and 
Captain  von  Unger  looked  round  to  me  to  take  mine. 

"  I  think  von  Schimmell  has  made  a  mistake,"  he  in- 
terposed to  me,  "  I  should  have  chosen  this  end  had 
I  won  ;  "  and  his  tone  was  only  a  little  short  of  gleeful. 

Up  to  this  moment  von  Kronheim  had  not  spoken, 
but  before  he  took  up  his  position  he  addressed  me. 

"  I  suppose  your  witness  knows  the  reason " 

"  Excuse  me,"  interposed  Captain  von  Unger,  quick- 
ly, "  but  is  not  this  quite  irregular?  Considering  how 
far  matters  have  now  advanced,  any  communications 
should  take  place  through  us." 

Von  Kroeheim  frowned  and  made  a  gesture  of  im- 
patience. 

"  I  have  no  objection,"  said  I  quickly. 

"  I  say  I  suppose  your  man  knows  the  cause  of  this 
business,  Sir  Stanley.     You  have  told  him  ?  " 

"  So  far  as  I  deem  it  necessary." 

"  Earlier  in  the  evening  your  master  called  me  an 
1  infernal  scoundrel '  and  a  '  cursed  coward  '  ;  and  as 
soon  as  I  was  at  liberty  to  do  so,  I  challenged  him. 
You  ought  to  know  that.  I  will  not  live  with  that 
insult  unavenged."  The  last  words  were  like  an  un- 
controllable burst  of  passion,  in  the  strongest  contrast 
with  his  apparent  self-control. 

Wilson  looked  at  me  for  instructions  but  I  made  no 
sign  and  did  not  say  a  word  ;  and  he  answered  for  him- 
self, somewhat  inconsequentially  : 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

"  I  have  one  word  to  say  to  you,  Sir  Stanley  ;  "  and  he 
showed  us  all  a  crumpled  envelope  which  he  had  been 
15 


226  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

holding  in  his  clenched  hand  and  then  laid  it  on  the 
large  stove  covering.  "  I  told  you  there  was  some- 
thing I  would  give  you  a  chance  of  fighting  for.  In 
that  envelope  is  the  information  you  will  need. 
Gentlemen,  you  are  witnesses,  if  you  please,  that  if  I  fall 
that  envelope  is  to  be  immediately  given  to  Sir  Stanley 
Meredith.  I  am  ready,"  he  added  to  his  second,  and 
immediately  took  his  place. 

Captain  von  Unger  then  brought  me  my  revolver, 
showed  me  that  it  was  unloaded,  asked  if  it  was  mine, 
and  when  I  assented  took  it  away  to  Wilson,  and  told 
him  to  load  it.  He  was  then  shown  von  Kronheim's 
weapon,  loaded  also  in  one  chamber  only,  and  they 
were  then  handed  to  us. 

"  You  will  be  good  enough  to  stand  with  the  weap- 
ons lowered,  gentlemen,"  said  my  second, "  until  the 
signal  is  given  to  you,  when  you  will  raise  your  weap- 
ons and  fire.  I  shall  give  the  signal  by  counting 
one,  two,  three  in  the  customary  way,  and  at  the  word 
three  you  will  fire.     Are  you  ready?" 

"  Yes,"  we  said  both  together.  We  stood  staring 
steadily  each  into  the  other's  eyes  and  von  Kronheim's 
face  was  hard  set  and  his  brow  frowning  -heavily.  For 
my  part  at  the  supreme  moment  Ihad  no  recurrence  of 
any  of  my  former  doubts  about  doing  my  utmost  to 
shoot  him.  The  sight  of  him  had  scattered  all  my 
qualms  and  weakness.  He  was  dead  set  on  taking  my 
life  if  he  could  possibly  do  so  ;  I  had  seen  it  in  his 
change  of  dress  ;  I  had  read  it  in  his  passionate  out- 
burst ;  I  read  it  again  now  in  his  look  of  deadly  con- 
centrated hate  ;  and  I  was  no  tame  fool  to  be  shot 
down  in  cold  blood  without  an  effort. 

"  One,  two,  three,"   came   the    signal   in    measured 


THE  NIGHT  227 

tones,  and  at  the  last  word  I  took  a  rapid  but  careful 
aim  and  fired.  The  pistols  spoke  almost  together; 
but  in  the  excitement  and  strain  of  the  crisis  we  had 
both  fired  wide  of  the  mark,  and  neither  of  us  was 
injured. 

Von  Kronheim  hailed  the  result  with  a  scornful 
laugh  and  a  muttered  curse.  Then  as  soon  as  it  was 
manifest  that  we  were  untouched,  the  pistols  were 
loaded  again,  and  we  made  ready  for  a  second  shot. 

Again  the  signal  came  in  the  same  measured  tone ; 
again  for  a  critical  second  I  glanced  along  my  oppo- 
nent's pistol  barrel,  at  his  evil,  sinister  face,  and  again 
the  weapons  rang  out  almost  simultaneously.  To  my 
profound  relief  I  found  myself  uninjured,  although  I 
caught  the  hiss  of  the  bullet,  and  felt  the  wind  of  it, 
as  it  whizzed  past  my  head. 

But  von  Kronheim  was  hit ;  his  weapon  fell  with  a 
loud  clatter,  and  he  uttered  a  furious  oath  as  his  right 
arm  dropped  helpless  at  his  side.  My  bullet  had  gone 
a  long  way  from  where  I  had  aimed,  but  had  struck 
him  as  we  afterwards  found  on  the  forearm,  about  an 
inch  from  the  elbow,  breaking  the  bone  and  making  a 
horrible  smash  of  the  whole  joint. 

It  must  have  caused  him  intense  pain,  but  he  clenched 
his  teeth  and  forced  every  sign  of  it — except  a  deep- 
ened pallor — out  of  his  face,  while  he  demanded  that 
the  fight  should  go  on,  that  neither  of  us  was  incapac- 
itated, and  that  he  could  shoot  as  well  with  his  left 
hand  as  with  his  right. 

I  was  altogether  unwilling  to  fight  a  crippled  man, 
and  Captain  von  Unger,  though  afraid  of  offending  his 
patron,  was  of  my  opinion.  But  the  Count  was  stren- 
uous in  his  demand. 


228  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  It  shall  go  on.  It  was  so  settled.  Those  were  the 
terms.  I  protest  against  any  other  result.  I  am  per- 
fectly able  to  shoot  and- "     But   even  as  he  spoke 

the  decision  went  against  him.  Despite  his  desperate 
effort,  speech  failed  him.  He  swayed  unsteadily  and 
had  to  lean  for  a  space  on  his  second.  Then  he  made 
another  frantic  attempt  to  stand  alone,  collect  his 
strength,  and  to  assert  himself.  But  his  wound  would 
not  be  denied,  and  with  a  last  horrible  curse  on  me  and 
his  ill  luck,  he  reeled  against  Captain  von  Schimmell 
for  the  second  time,  and  slipped  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

TRICKED 

The  cause  of  von  Kronheim's  collapse  was  plain 
the  moment  we  examined  his  wound.  My  ball  had 
not  only  smashed  the  bones  of  the  arm  but  had  also 
damaged  the  artery  and  he  was  losing  blood  at  a  rate 
which  would  soon  have  cost  him  his  life. 

Fortunately  I  knew  enough  about  things  to  be  able 
to  improvise  a  tourniquet,  and  so  stop  the  bleeding 
until  the  doctor  should  arrive,  and  as  soon  as  I  had 
finished  the  task  I  got  ready  to  leave.  No  attempt 
was  made  to  detain  me,  and  Captain  von  Unger  went 
so  far  as  to  offer  me  an  apology  for  the  part  which  he 
had  taken  earlier  against  me. 

"  Do  you  know  the  nature  of  the  work  that  has  been 
going  on  here?"  I  asked  him,  pretty  sharply. 

"  I  am  an  old  friend  and  close  associate  of  von 
Kronheim,"  he  replied,  with  a  half  apologetic,  half 
evasive  air. 

"You  will  have  to  answer  for  this  business  some  day. 
There  will  be  a  big  bill  to  pay  when  the  reckoning 
comes ;  and  the  old  Duke  is  not  the  man  to  exact  less 
than  the  uttermost  farthing." 

"  I  am  a  Prussian ; "  and  he  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. 

"  And  Berlin  takes  a  keen  interest  in  the  matter  too." 

He  did  not  like  this  and  winced  a  little. 

229 


230  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  What  makes  you  think  that,  Sir  Stanley?  " 

"  I  have  my  information  direct  from  the  German 
Embassy  in  London."  •  He  changed  colour  slightly. 

"  At  least  I  have  done  my  duty  honourably  by  you. 
You  can  bear  testimony  to  that." 

"And  I  am  obliged  to  you;  but  that  does  not  affect 
the  rest  of  the  affair."  He  paused  a  moment,  glanced 
at  me,  frowned  and  then  shrugged  his  shoulders  again, 
as  he  replied : 

"  Well,  I  must  take  my  chance.  We  do  not  yet 
know  how  the  matter  will  end." 

I  understood  him.  If  von  Kronheim  could  yet  get 
the  throne  with  Celia  as  his  wife,  he  would  be  in  a 
position  not  only  to  protect  but  also  to  reward  those 
who  had  assisted  him  in  this  scheme. 

At  that  moment  Wilson  came  to  me  and  asked  if  he 
should  go  for  the  horses.  He  was  still  very  nervous,  I 
thought,  and  when  he  repeated  the  question  because  I 
did  not  reply  instantly,  I  noted  signs  of  suppressed 
excitement  in  his  manner.  No  sooner  had  I  as- 
sented than  he  rushed  away  at  once,  leaving  me  to 
follow. 

I  walked  leisurely  after  him,  thinking  closely  of  all 
that  had  happened  and  what  had  better  be  my  next 
move.  Matters  had  gone  much  better  than  at  one  time 
seemed  probable.  Von  Kronheim  was  badly  wounded 
and  would  probably  be  incapacitated  for  some  days  at 
least,  if  not  longer;  but  I  had  lost  Celia  none  the  less 
certainly ;  and  where  to  look  for  her,  I  could  not  even 
hazard  a  guess. 

Moreover,  I  was  no  sooner  out  of  the  house  than  I 
reflected  how  important  it  was  for  me  to  learn  the  doc- 
tor's opinion  about  von  Kronheim.     I  was  profoundly 


TRICKED  23r 

glad  I  had  not  killed  him ;  but  I  hoped  very  sincerely 
that  his  wound  would  lay  him  by  the  heels  a  sufficiently 
long  time  to  enable  the  tangle  to  be  set  right. 

I  stood *by  the  gates  revolving  these  things  when 
Wilson  came  hurrying  up  with  my  horse  and  the  gig, 
and  urged  me  with  an  impatience  quite  strange  to  him 
to  mount  and  ride  away  at  once. 

"  There's  no  need  for  your  hurry,  Wilson.  No  one 
is  likely  to  stop  us  now.  You  needn't  be  nervous.  I 
am  not  sure  indeed  that  I  oughtn't  to  go  back  to  the 
house  and  wait  for  the  doctor's  report." 

"  Don't  do  that,  Sir  Stanley,  don't  do  that,  sir,  pray," 
he  urged  with  such  insistence  that  it  annoyed  me  into 
injustice. 

"  Well,  my  good  fellow,  if  you're  afraid,  be  off  with 
you.     Only  don't  worry  me." 

"  It's  not  that,  sir,  I'm  not  afraid,  but "  he  checked 

himself  and  added  :  "  Of  course,  I'll  wait  if  you  wish 
it,  sir." 

Remembering  that  his  nerves  had  been  badly  shaken 
by  the  events  of  the  night  I  mounted  my  horse  and 
rode  off  slowly.  But  I  was  so  anxious  to  know  the 
doctor's  report,  and  to  learn  how  the  wound  would 
affect  von  Kronheim's  movements,  that  before  we  had 
covered  half  a  mile  I  drew  rein. 

"  Wilson,  one  of  us  must  go  back  and  find  out  what" 
the  doctor  says  of  the  Count's  condition.  It's  the  key 
to  everything  just  now,  and  I  must  know  it." 

"  ^e&SmS  your  pardon,  Sir  Stanley,  I  don't  think 
you'll  find  it  necessary." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  man  ?  "  I  cried  angrily. 
"  What  do  you  mean  ?  What  is  it  that's  making  you 
like  this?" 


232         .       FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  I  think  I  know  where  to  find  Miss  Celia,  sir,"  he 
replied,  to  my  utter  amazement. 

"  Where  to  find  Miss  Celia  !  Why,  how  on  earth  did 
you  find  that  out  ?  How  can  you  know  it  ?  "  and  then 
he  told  me. 

"  I  didn't  want  to  say  yet,  sir,  but  I  suppose  I  must. 
While  you  were  all  busy  with  the  Count  von  Kronheim 
I  took  that  letter  which  he  put  on  the  stove  before 
you  fought,  sir,  and — and  here  it  is  ;  "  and  he  held  it 
out  to  me. 

"  You  have  acted  very  wrongly,  Wilson.  You  don't 
understand  these  things,  I  suppose,  but  I  wouldn't  take 
that  letter  and  read  it  for  any  consideration  on  earth  ;  " 
I  spoke  as  indignantly  as  I  felt.  "  You  have  served 
me  very  badly  in  this,  very  badly  indeed.  You  must 
drive  back  at  once  to  the  house  and  give  it  back  to 
Captain  von  Schimmell  and  explain." 

"  I  was  afraid  you'd  take  that  view  of  it,  sir,  so " 

"  What  other  view  do  you  think  I  could  take  ?  "  I 
cried  angrily. 

"  So  I  read  what  was  in  it,  Sir  Stanley." 

"  What,  read  it  !  That's  the  act  of  a  scoundrel, 
Wilson,  and  I'm  ashamed  of  you,"  I  cried.  I  was  furi- 
ous at  this  breach  of  honour.  "  Don't  tell  me  what 
you  learnt,  and  come  back  at  once  and  explain." 

"  I  thought  of  Miss  Celia,  sir,  and  wanted  to  save 
her." 

"  She  is  not  to  be  saved  by  dishonourable  tricks  of 
that  kind.  You  have  done  me  a  shameful  injury  ;  " 
and  without  another  word  we  returned  to  the  house 
where  I  sent  for  the  two  Captains  and  made  Wilson 
tell  his  own  story. 

"  He  has  told  me  nothing  of  the  contents  of  the 


TRICKED  233 

letter,"  I  said  to  them  at  the  close,  "  and  all  I  can 
suggest  is  that  you  detain  him  here  until  after  the  time 
when  the  information  thus  gained  can  be  of  any  as- 
sistance to  me.  You  have  brought  this  on  yourself, 
Wilson,  and  you  have  robbed  me  of  your  help  at  the 
moment  of  all  others  when  I  most  need  it.  Let  it  be 
a  lesson  to  you."  He  was  terribly  downcast  and  woe- 
begone ;  and  the  two  Captains  did  not  know  what 
to  do. 

"  You  have  acted  as  I  should  have  expected  you  to 
act,  Sir  Stanley,"  said  my  late  second  ;  "  but  I  really 
would  rather  not  take  the  responsibility  of  keeping 
your  servant  here." 

"  How  is  the  Count  von  Kronheim  ?  Can  you  ask 
him  ?     Is  the  doctor  here  yet  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes ;  and  he  gives  a  half-and-half  account  of  his 
patient.  The  loss  of  blood  weakened  him,  but  there 
is  no  danger  to  life.  He  will  carry  a  stiff  arm,  for  the 
injury  to  the  joint  is  irreparable;  but  he  hopes  to  save 
the  arm." 

"  He  will  be  confined  to  bed  for  some  time  then,"  I 
suggested. 

"  An  ordinary  man  would  be,  but  von  Kronheim  is 
not  an  ordinary  man  ;  and  that  is  all  I  can  say.  He 
certainly  is  not  well  enough  yet  to  be  asked  about  your 
servant." 

"  Well,  do  as  you  will,"  I  said,  "  but  the  matter  is 
one  he  ought  to  settle  ;  "  and  I  rode  off  by  myself  then 
very  much  disturbed  by  the  incident.  The  loss  of  Wil- 
son's help  at  such  a  juncture  was  infinitely  embarrass- 
ing ;  and  it  increased  enormously  the  difficulties  of 
my  task. 

I  had  but  one  step  that  I  could  now  take.     I  must 


234  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

keep  watch  in  person  on  the  house  until  von  Kronheim 
left  it,  and  then  follow  him  wherever  he  went.  He 
was  certain  to  go  to  Celia  sooner  or  later.  It  did  not 
seem  possible  that  he  would  run  the  risk  of  being 
moved  until  at  any  rate  his  wound  had  been  rested  for 
some  hours ;  but  as  Captain  von  Unger  had  said,  he 
was  no  ordinary  man,  and  I  was  sorely  perplexed  what 
to  do. 

It  was  all  but  essential  that  by  some  means  I  should 
let  my  sister  know  where  to  send  to  me,  in  the  event 
of  any  further  communication  coming  from  Katrine, 
but  the  time  necessary  for  me  to  go  to  Crudenstadt 
and  return  to  Mempach  would  be  more  than  enough 
for  von  Kronheim  to  slip  away  from  the  village  and  so 
escape  me.  And  if  I  once  lost  sight  of  him,  I  might 
whistle  for  the  chance  of  rinding  him  again  in  time  to 
thwart  the  scheme  I  knew  he  was  meditating 

Wounded  and  partially  disabled  as  he  was,  he  would 
still  be  formidable  to  Celia  when  backed  by  the  support 
of  her  mother ;  and  this  consideration  made  me  stop 
and  turn  back. 

No  sooner  had  I  formed  the  resolve  to  watch  the 
house  than  the  practical  difficulties  of  the  task  became 
apparent.  It  was  a  secluded  house  shut  in  by  trees, 
and  although  I  could  watch  the  front,  I  could  not  at 
the  same  time  know  what  went  on  at  the  back.  For 
all  I  knew  there  might  be  a  dozen  ways  of  escape  from 
the  place  by  the  back,  and  all  my  vigilance  might  be 
the  merest  waste  of  time. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  I  got  back  to  the  house 
and  commenced  my  watch.  At  first  I  sat  in  the  saddle 
in  full  view  of  anyone  who  should  enter  or  leave.  I 
soon  perceived  the  fatuity  of   this  and  fastened   the 


TRICKED  235 

horse  to  a  gate  some  distance  away,  and  went  back 
to  watch  on  foot,  concealing  myself  as  best  I  could 
considering  the  circumstances.  Then  came  another 
trouble. 

As  soon  as  matters  were  quiet,  the  want  of  sleep 
and  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of  the  night's  doings 
overpowered  me  with  drowsiness,  until  only  the 
strongest  exercise  of  will  prevented  me  from  falling 
sound  asleep.  At  length  I  could  only  fight  against  my 
fatigue  by  walking  up  and  down.  The  moment  I  stood 
still  or  sat  down  a  desire  to  sleep  fastened  on  me,  and 
fight  against  it  as  I  would,  my  eyes  closed,  my  muscles 
relaxed,  and  I  had  to  move  about  again. 

In  this  exhausting  conflict  with  sleep  some  hours 
seemed  to  pass  and  the  country  folk  began  to  come 
out  to  commence  their  daily  work.  Then  both  hunger 
and  thirst  attacked  me  and  I  was  beginning  to  specu- 
late how  to  deal  with  the  problem  of  keeping  at  my 
post  and  yet  getting  food,  when  my  faculties  were  all 
suddenly  quickened  up  and  my  attention  claimed  by 
certain  movements  at  the  house. 

A  man  whom  I  recognised  as  the  servant  who  had 
admitted  me  in  the  first  instance  came  out  from  the 
gate,  looked  sharply  up  and  down  the  road  for  a  cou- 
ple of  minutes,  and  seemingly  satisfied  with  the  result 
of  his  scouting,  went  back  to  the  house,  leaving  the 
gate  standing  open.  Something  was  going  to  happen  ; 
and  all  thought  of  sleep,  food  and  drink  was  merged  in 
a  feeling  of  intense  gratification  that  I  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  conceal  myself. 

Then  I  heard  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs  and  car- 
riage wheels  near  the  house  ;  and  it  occurred  to  me 
instantly  that  von  Kronheim,  despite  his  wound,  meant. 


236  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

to  make  a  bolt  of  it.  He  concluded  I  had  rushed  off 
to  Crudenstadt  and  he  meant  to  be  away  before  I  could 
get  back  to  set  any  watch  upon  him  ;  and  I  hugged 
myself  upon  my  shrewdness  in  returning  at  once  in- 
stead of  giving  him  some  hours'  grace. 

After  some  minutes  Captain  von  Schimmell  came  to 
the  gate  and  like  the  servant  looked  sharply  up  and 
down.  They  were  resolved  to  get  away  without  being 
observed,  and  were  obviously  growing  anxious  to  be 
off.  Having  satisfied  himself  that  the  coast  was  clear, 
he  went  back  and  the  next  moment  a  large  heavy 
travelling  carriage  drawn  by  a  couple  of  horses  came 
swinging  out  into  the  road  at  a  sharp  trot  and  turned 
in  the  direction  away  from  the  village. 

At  the  possible  risk  of  being  seen  I  strained  my 
eyes  to  catch  sight  of  the  inmates;  but  the  windows 
were  both  up  and  all  that  I  could  see  was  that  one  of 
the  persons  in  it  was  lying  across  the  seats,  swathed 
in  rugs  or  bedclothes.  But  that  was  enough  for  me. 
Von  Kronheim  had  been  patched  up  by  the  doctor 
and  was  taking  the  risks  of  the  journey ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  carriage  was  well  away  down  the  road  and  no 
one  was  to  be  seen  about  the  house,  I  ran  to  my  horse, 
mounted,  and  set  off  in  pursuit,  at  a  pace  which  al- 
lowed the  carriage  to  keep  some  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  ahead. 

The  pursuit  was  of  course  the  easiest  thing  in  the 
world.  The  carriage  was  too  heavy  to  travel  quickly 
and  my  horse  was  good  enough  to  have  kept  up  with 
it  had  the  pace  been  twice  as  fast.  My  one  considera- 
tion was  to  keep  far  enough  in  the  rear  not  to  rouse 
suspicion,  and  as  there  was  only  the  driver  on  the  box 
this  was  a  simple  matter.     He  was  a  dull  clown  too,  for 


TRICKED  237 

he  never  once  turned  his  head  to  see  if  anyone  was 
following  ;  and  I  might  have  ridden  up  to  within  fifty- 
yards  of  him  without  exciting  suspicion. 

As  soon  as  we  had  put  a  couple  of  miles  between  us 
and  the  house,  the  pace  slackened  considerably.  The 
man  probably  had  instructions  to  go  gently  on  account 
of  von  Kronheim's  weak  condition  ;  but  fast  or  slow 
was  all  one  to  me. 

The  morning  air  was  refreshing  ;  the  ride  was  doubly 
welcome  after  the  strenuous  events  of  the  night ;  I  was 
in  action  once  more,  doing  something  for  Celia's  sake ; 
and  was  moreover  so  certain  of  being  able  to  keep  the 
quarry  in  full  view,  that  my  spirits  rose  with  every  half 
mile  we  covered. 

I  could  have  laughed  aloud  at  the  easy  way  in  which 
I  had  been  able  to  dupe  von  Kronheim  and  in  antici- 
pation of  his  chagrin  when  he  discovered  that  I  was 
close  on  his  heels,  despite  his  promptness  in  wishing 
so  much  to  elude  me  by  this  hurried  flight. 

Hurried  indeed  it  could  scarcely  be  called,  however, 
and  after  we  had  travelled  for  some  two  hours  and  had 
covered  perhaps  ten  miles,  I  began  to  feel  surprise  that 
he  should  be  content  to  move  so  slowly.  But  the 
choice  of  pace  was  his  affair,  not  mine,  and  so  long  as 
I  knew  where  he  was  going,  it  was  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence whether  wre  travelled  at  fifteen  miles  an  hour  or 
five. 

Presently,  however,  the  carriage  came  to  a  dead  stop. 
The  coachman  got  down  from  the  box  and  examined 
the  harness  of  one  of  the  horses  ;  and  apparently  found 
something  very  much  amiss,  for  he  stopped  so  long  in 
putting  it  right  that  I  was  amazed  von  Kronheim 
should  endure  the  delay.     This  occurred  at  the  foot  cf 


238  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

a  somewhat  long  hill,  and  when  at  length  the  man 
mounted  to  the  box  again,  I  saw  him  look  back  along 
the  road  and  then  deliberately  light  his  great  pipe  be- 
fore urging  his  horses  to  mount  the  hill. 

They  went  so  slowly  up  the  ascent  that  I  began  to 
get  impatient,  for  the  road  was  very  straight  and  I 
could  not  venture  to  follow  until  they  were  close  to 
the  top ;  but  as  soon  as  practicable  I  followed  at  a 
much  brisker  pace. 

That  the  man  should  smoke  while  driving  his  master 
struck  me  as  a  very  curious  fact.  Von  Kronheim  was 
about  thelast  man  in  the  world,  I  thought,  to  allow 
such  conduct  in  his  coachman,  and  I  was  conscious  of 
a  feeling  of  uneasiness  as  I  followed  up  the  long  drag- 
ging hill.  But  I  was  soon  to  understand  things. 
When  I  reached  the  top,  there  was  no  trace  of  the  car- 
riage. I  spied  a  turning  on  the  right  some  little  dis- 
tance further  on,  where  a  belt  of  trees  stood  at  the 
corner.  I  hurried  to  this  and  found  the  carriage  drawn 
up,  the  horses  browsing  the  grass  at  the  wayside,  and 
the  coachman  lolling  on  the  box  smoking  contentedly 
and  lazily. 

When  he  saw  me,  he  grinned  knowingly. 

"  A  fine  morning  for  a  ride,  sir,"  he  said  drily,  touch- 
ing his  cap. 

I  made  no  reply  but  rode  up  to  the  carriage  window 
and  looked  into  it;  and  he  turned  round  and  watched 
me  and  grinned  again,  this  time  more  broadly,  and  not 
liking  the  look  on  my  face  he  straightened  his  features. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  I  asked  angrily.  But  I 
had  no  need  to  wait  for  the  reply.  I  had  been  tricked 
and  like  a  fool  had  fallen  into  a  trap  that  a  booby 
might  have  expected  to  be  laid. 


TRICKED  239 

"  I  was  told  to  drive  straight  away  for  a  couple  of 
hours  or  so,  sir;  that's  all  I  know." 

I  jumped  from  my  horse  and  opened  the  carriage 
door.  The  rugs  were  as  I  had  seen  them  and  Von 
Kronheim  was  not  and  never  had  been  in  the  carriage. 

"  Where  is  your  master,  fellow  ?  "  I  cried. 

"  How  am  I  to  know?  "  was  the  sullen  reply.  "  He 
was  at  the  house  when  I  left ;  perhaps  you'll  find  him 
there  now." 

I  waited  for  no  more.  I  had  been  thoroughly  fooled; 
and  I  mounted  again  and  set  off  on  my  return  ride  as 
fast  as  my  horse  could  travel,  wild  with  myself  for  my 
blindness  and  stupidity  at  having  been  caught  by  so 
shallow  a  trick,  and  lamenting  with  bitter  vexation  and 
anxiety,  the  loss  of  the  valuable  time  and  the  now 
certain  escape  of  von  Kronheim. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

A    STRANGE    DEVELOPMENT 

THE  scene  had  been  carefully  planned  to  outwit  me. 
Some  one  had  no  doubt  seen  my  return  and  had  easily 
guessed  my  intention  to  follow  Von  Kronheim  should 
he  leave  the  house.  They  had  therefore  laid  this  little 
trap,  and  I  had  blundered  head  over  heels  into  it  like  a 
wooden-brained  fool. 

The  ride  back  was  a  bitter  experience  indeed :  sug- 
gesting as  it  did  at  every  step  the  contrast  between  the 
mood  of  exultant  self-satisfaction  in  which  I  had  pur- 
sued the  leisurely  carriage,  chuckling  to  myself  like  an 
idiot  on  my  astuteness,  and  my  present  smart  of  shame- 
faced humiliation  at  my  defeat. 

I  am  afraid   1  was  coward  enough  to  vent  some  of 

my  anger  on  the  poor  patient   brute  that   carried  me, 

urging  him  constantly  with  whip  and  heel  to  greater 

exertions,    and  grumbling  and   cursing  him  when  he 

flagged  in  the  swift  pace  I  wished  to  maintain.     The 

beast  was  hungry  and  unrested,  and  lacking  the  mad 

incentive  which   made  me  oblivious   to   the  claims  of 

nature,  and  must  have  bewailed  the  evil  stars  that  had 

brought  him  out  on  such  a  luckless  expedition.     But  I 

expected  him  to  show  as  keen  a  relish  for  the  work  as 

I  did ;  and  when  at  length  his  strength  began  to  give 

out  and  I  was  perforce  compelled  to  let  him  walk,  I 

railed  at  him  as  though  he  and  not  myself  was  the 

cause  of  all  the  trouble. 
240 


A  STRANGE  DEVELOPMENT  241 

But  his  very  fatigue  stood  me  in  good  stead.  It  was 
the  first  sign  of  my  returning  good  fortune  and  saved  me 
from  what  might  have  been  an  even  greater  embarrass- 
ment than  any  I  had  yet  experienced.  Before  we 
reached  Mempach  he  had  been  for  some  distance  too 
tired  to  travel  faster  than  at  a  jog  trot,  and  just  as  the 
house  came  in  sight  he  fell  into  a  walk.  My  intention 
had  been  to  ride  in  hot  haste  to  the  house  and  ascertain 
for  myself  whether  von  Kronheim  was  still  there ;  and 
if  he  had  gone  to  endeavour  to  get  some  clue  to  the 
direction  he  had  taken  ;  and  had  my  horse  been  able 
to  travel  fast  I  should  have  dashed  up  all  unsuspecting 
to  the  door.  The  slow  pace  gave  me  enforced  oppor- 
tunity of  looking  about  me,  however — an  opportunity 
which  fortunately  I  used  even  while  it  girded  and  irri- 
tated me  ;  and  what  I  noticed  caused  an  abrupt  change 
of  intention. 

As  I  drew  near  the  house  I  saw  one  or  two  men 
moving  warily  among  the  trees  and  bushes  which 
skirted  the  side  of  the  grounds;  and  this  circumstance 
struck  me  as  so  strange,  that  instinctively  I  checked 
myself  as  I  was  in  the  very  act  of  turning  my  horse 
into  the  gate.  Next  I  observed  two  or  three  saddled 
horses  standing  half-concealed  among  some  bushes  ; 
the  saddles  and  bridles  being  of  the  regulation  police 
pattern,  and  the  horses  of  the  heavy  stamp  of  military 
or  police  animals. 

The  meaning  of  this  discovery  flashed  upon  me  in- 
stantly. Either  the  police  had  got  wind  of  von  Kron- 
heim's  whereabouts  and  were  hunting  him,  or  in 
addition  to  having  fooled  me  away  from  the  place  he 
had  prepared  this  reception  for  me  on  my  return.  In 
either  case  I  must  keep  out  of  their  way,  and  with  a 
16 


242  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

fervent  self-congratulation  upon  my  own  shrewdness, 
and  no  thought  that  in  truth  I  owed  it  to  my  horse's 
fatigue,  I  held  on  my  journey  and  breathed  a  silent 
prayer  that  I  might  not  be  seen. 

But  they  had  seen  me  and  no  doubt  had  been  watching 
my  approach  with  close  interest.  I  had  barely  passed 
the  first  gate  before  a  man  sauntered  out  and  looked 
at  me  with  a  studied  unconcern  that  was  obviously 
assumed  ;  and  before  I  had  gone  another  twenty  yards 
two  others  came  out  from  a  gate  in  front  and  crossed 
the  road  to  speak  to  me. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  one  of  them,  and  I  reined  up 
and  returned  his  greeting.  "  You  seem  to  have  trav- 
elled far  and  to  have  had  a  rough  time  of  it."  Con- 
sidering all  I  had  gone  through  in  one  night,  his 
comment  was  no  doubt  more  than  justified  by  my 
appearance. 

"  Yes,  my  poor  brute  is  nearly  done  up.  We've 
covered  some  fifty  miles  without  a  rest.  Isn't  there  a 
place  somewhere  here  where  I  can  get  him  a  feed,  and 
myself  a  breakfast  ?  I  think  I  passed  a  village  about 
here  on  my  way  out." 

"  Where  have  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  Along  the  Lebenstein  road  ; "  and  I  pointed  back. 
Fortunately  I  knew  the  name  of  the  road.  The  two 
men  exchanged  glances,  and  one  pointed  to  a  mark  on 
the  horse  and  whispered  to  his  companion. 

"  What  is  your  name,  please,  whose  horse  is  that, 
and  where  are  you  going?  " 

"  I  am  an  Englishman  named  Stanhope,  staying  at 
the  Sonne  Hotel  in  Crudenstadt  and  I  hired  the  horse 
from  there.  I  am  on  my  way  back  there  now."  It 
was  fortunate  I  had  told  the  truth,  for  the  man  had 


A  STRANGE  DEVELOPMENT  243 

recognized  the  horse  as  coming  from  the  Crudenstadt 
Hotel.  "  There  is  a  village  here,  isn't  there  ?  "  I  added, 
quietly. 

"  Did  you  come  this  way  ?  "  was  the  next  question, 
ignoring  mine. 

"  Oh,  yes — but  it  looks  so  different  in  daylight,"  I 
replied  with  a  smile,  as  if  to  explain  my  ignorance. 

"  What  time  did  you  start  ?  " 

"  About  three  o'clock,  I  fancy."  This  was  true  in 
the  letter,  but  it  had  been  three  o'clock  en  the  previous 
afternoon  ;  and  when  he  appeared  more  satisfied  with 
the  answer,  I  added  with  another  smile :  "  I  am  woe- 
fully hungry,  gentlemen,  if  you  would  like  to  ask  me 
any  other  questions  I  wish  you  would  put  them  to  me 
over  breakfast  at  the  inn  of  the  village — if  there  is  one, 
that  is." 

"  What  was  your  business  in  taking  a  long  ride  at 
such  an  unusual  time?" 

"  I  had  no  business  to  take  it  at  all,"  said  I,  laugh- 
ing broadly,  "  and  have  gained  nothing  by  it  unless  we 
call  a  most  unusual  appetite  a  gain.  I  have  that.  But 
one  does  these  eccentric  things  on  the  Continent ;  and 
then  goes  home  and  talks  about  the  wonders  of  sun- 
rises and  all  the  rest  of  it.  But,  upon  my  soul,  I 
should  have  been  much  more  comfortable  in  my  bed 
at  the  Sonne  than  in  watching  the  sun  rise."  I  spoke 
quietly  and  naturally,  and  the  two  men  smiled. 

"Your  name  is  Stanhope?" 

"Yes,  and  if  you  will  call  on  me  at  the  Sonne,  any 
time  this  afternoon  I  shall  be  delighted  to  see  you  ;  or, 
if  you  will  ride  back  with  me  now,  I  shall  be  more 
pleased,  for  it  will  give  me  company  at  the  fag  end  of 
a  tiresome  journey.     But  I  must  breakfast  first."     • 


244  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  two  men  whispered  together  a  moment  and  then 
drew  aside. 

"  You  will  find  an  inn  in  Mempach  about  a  mile  fur- 
ther on,  and  while  you  are  at  breakfast,  I  will  join 
you  and  ride  with  you  into  Crudenstadt." 

"  Good  !  auf  wiedersehen,  then,"  I  returned,  and  I 
urged  my  horse  into  a  trot,  as  the  two  men  went  back 
to  the  house.  I  knew  I  had  had  a  narrow  shave  of 
arrest,  and  that  the  danger  was  not  yet  over,  and  so 
soon  as  I  was  out  of  sight  I  hustled  my  horse  into  a 
semblance  of  a  gallop,  getting  out  of  him  the  last 
remaining  ounces  of  strength. 

At  the  inn  I  sent  him  to  the  stables  and  ordered 
breakfast ;  but  finding  from  a  time-table  sheet  that  a 
train  started  for  Crudenstadt  in  a  few  minutes,  I  left 
the  house  at  once  and  hurried  to  the  station  and  was 
in  Crudenstadt  before  the  police  official  would  prob- 
ably have  reached  the  inn  at  Mempach. 

I  drove  to  my  hotel  hurriedly,  settled  my  bill,  ar- 
ranged in  regard  to  the  horses  I  had  hired,  and  on  the 
plea  that  I  was  called  in  all  haste  to  England,  I  had 
my  luggage  carried  to  the  station.  In  this  way  I  broke 
the  trail  when  the  officials  should  come  in  search  of 
Mr.  Stanhope  ;  and  the  same  afternoon  went  to  the 
Rheinhof,  a  larger  hotel  where  guests  were  more  nu- 
merous, taking  now  the  name  of  Blyth. 

I  knew  that  the  risks  of  discovery  were  now  vastly 
increased  ;  but  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  leave  the 
Capital  until  I  had  communicated  with  my  sister,  and 
recommenced  my  search  for  von  Kronheim.  I  was 
afraid  to  trust  a  letter  to  Alice  to  the  post  ;  the  tele- 
graph was  out  of  the  question ;  a  messenger  might  be 
equally  dangerous  ;  and  I  saw  nothing  for  it  but  to  risk 


A  STRANGE  DEVELOPMENT  245 

being  my  own  messenger.  Accordingly  I  stayed  in  the 
hotel  until  it  was  dusk  and  the  hour  came  when  her 
husband  would  probably  be  away  at  the  restaurant 
which  he  frequented  in  the  evening,  and  then  making 
such  changes  in  my  dress  as  I  calculated  would  help  to 
prevent  my  too  immediate  recognition,  I  wrote  a  note 
to  her  and  went  to  the  neighbourhood  of  her  house 
and  loitered  about  on  the  remote  chance  of  catching 
sight  of  her. 

This  kind  of  loafing  hide-and-seek  work  in  semi-dis- 
guise was  profoundly  distasteful  to  me,  and  they  were 
bitter  minutes  I  spent  looking  furtively  for  a  spy  among 
the  people  who  were  in  the  streets  and  keeping  an  eye 
upon  the  door  of  my  sister's  house.  The  knowledge 
that  I  was  being  hunted  by  the  police  was  the  main 
cause  of  this  uneasiness;  and  the  sense  of  degradation, 
combined  with  the  stinging  consciousness  that  I  had 
so  disastrously  fooled  away  my  advantage  in  the  morn- 
ing rendered  me  extremely  unhappy. 

The  feeling  became  at  length  intolerable.  I  grew  to 
dread  the  glance  of  every  man  in  the  street,  and  to  ex- 
pect every  minute  to  feel  a  policeman's  hand  on  my 
shoulder.  I  ended  it  therefore  by  crossing  the  street, 
knocking  at  my  sister's  house  and  asking  for  her. 

To  my  chagrin  she  was  not  at  home,  and  the  servant 
who  opened  the  door  to  me  was  one  whom  I  knew  to 
be  too  closely  in  her  husband's  confidence  for  me  to 
entrust  either  a  message  or  letter  to  his  care.  Neither 
was  I  willing  to  enter  the  house  lest  the  man  should 
have  some  instructions  either  to  go  and  tell  his  master 
at  once  of  my  arrival  or  to  apprise  the  police.  Saying, 
therefore,  that  I  would  call  later,  I  turned  away,  and 
then  had  a  most  annoying  and  humiliating  experience. 


246  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Chancing  to  stand  a  moment  in  one  of  the  streets 
near  and  glancing  back  I  found  that  the  servant  was 
following  me.  It  was  coming  to  a  nice  pass  when  one 
was  to  find  spies  in  one's  own  sister's  household,  I 
thought  indignantly ;  but  it  was  easier  to  be  indignant 
than  to  shake  the  fellow  off,  and  he  stuck  to  me  dog- 
gedly for  an  hour  and  more,  until  I  began  to  think 
seriously  of  driving  him  away  by  force. 

But  chance  favoured  me.  He  was  so  intent  on  keep- 
ing me  in  sight  as  I  hurried  through  one  of  the  busy 
streets,  that  he  ran  against  a  burly  working  man  who 
by  a  happy  chance  was  full  of  either  beer  or  temper. 
He  seized  my  spy  in  his  rough  strong  grip,  pinned  him 
against  the  wall  with  one  hand  while  he  menaced  him 
with  the  other  and  growled  out  a  quantity  of  very  loud 
angry  abuse.  When  I  turned  the  corner  the  alterca- 
tion was  still  in  the  shrill  stage,  so  that  I  escaped,  and 
jumping  into  a  carriage  was  soon  far  away  from  the 
scene. 

I  drove  back  to  my  sister's  house  and  delivered  my 
letter,  and  returned  to  my  hotel  dispirited,  worn  out, 
and  profoundly  ill  at  ease. 

Despite  my  anxiety  I  slept  heavily  till  daylight, 
when  I  lay  revolving  the  events  of  the  previous  crowded 
hours  and  trying  zealously  to  see  a  way  out  of  the 
maze.  It  seemed  hopeless  to  continue  the  quest  for 
von  Kronheim  single-handed  ;  more  than  once  it  oc- 
curred to  me  to  go  on  the  morrow  to  General  von 
Eckerstein  and  seek  his  aid,  let  the  price  of  it  be  what 
it  might. 

It  was  my  hour  of  weakness.  The  sense  of  failure 
lay  heavy  on  me.  I  was  full  of  alarm  for  Celia.  In 
my  then  mood   it  seemed  so  selfish  to  prolong  the 


A  STRANGE  DEVELOPMENT  247 

danger  to  her  in  the  mere  hope  of  gratifying  my  own 
wishes.  Heaven  knew  I  loved  her  well  enough  to  set 
her  happiness  and  safety  above  my  own  pleasure  and 
desires. 

Then  as  a  counterpoise  came  the  remembrance  of 
her  own  unflagging  bright  courage.  If  I  felt  troubled 
and  uneasy  and  allowed  myself  to  be  dispirited,  how 
much  more  cause  had  Celia  ?  And  yet  how  determined 
and  quietly  dauntless  she  had  been  ;  with  what  pride 
she  had  resisted  those  who  would  have  coerced  her ; 
with  what  steady  resolve  she  had  stood  her  ground  ; 
and  how  unconquerable  her  love  !  Was  I  to  reward 
her  by  running  to  the  Minister  in  trembling  haste  to 
give  her  up  ? 

The  thought  of  her  steadfastness  after  all  she  must 
have  gone  through,  shamed  my  hesitation  and  scat- 
tered the  cobwebs  of  my  indecision  to  the  four  winds 
of  heaven.  I  would  find  her,  if  I  had  to  search  the 
Duchy  from  end  to  end,  and  the  coming  day  should 
see  me  hard  at  work  again,  let  the  difficulties  be  what 
they  might. 

As  I  lay  planning  the  steps  I  could  take,  and  rating 
myself  for  my  faint-heartedness,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
after  all  my  search  would  not  have  to  be  over  a  very 
wide  field.  And  in  this  regard  my  surprise  visit  to 
Mempach  would  almost  certainly  bear  fruit. 

It  was  not  likely  that  von  Kronheim  would  have 
provided  more  than  one  house  as  a  refuge  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Crudenstadt,  and  as  I  had  driven  him  out 
of  this  it  was  most  probable  that  he  would  have  been 
compelled  to  send  Celia  and  her  mother  either  to  his 
own  house — which  was  a  considerable  distance  from 
the  capital — or  to  that  of  some  one  of  her  friends. 


248  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  number  of  these  was  not  likely  to  be  great,  and  a 
little  ingenuity  might  soon  discover  any  probable  ones  ; 
and  I  was  fortunately  able  to  set  inquiries  on  foot  at  once. 

My  sister  came  to  see  me  and  I  found  her  brimful  of 
curiosity  about  my  plans  and  anxiety  for  my  safety. 
Her  great  gift  for  assimilating  the  concerns  of  her 
neighbours  promised  to  stand  me  in  good  stead,  for  I 
found  that  she  knew  almost  everything  about  "that 
horrible  creature,  Karl  von  Kronheim,"  as  she  termed 
him  ;  and  she  gave  me  readily  a  number  of  places  where 
I  could  usefully  begin  my  search,  and  promised  to  get 
me  several  others.  But  what  was  even  more  valuable, 
she  told  me  of  a  man  in  Crudenstadt,  named  Stein, 
who  would  be  able  to  render  me  great  assistance  in  my 
search. 

But  I  had  to  pay  a  price  for  the  information  by 
taking  her  largely  into  my  confidence.  I  told  her 
what  had  happened  at  Mempach,  what  my  fears  were 
concerning  Celia,  and  a  good  deal  more. 

"  You'll  not  do  any  good,  Stanley,"  she  said,  very 
gravely  and  earnestly.  "  You  can't  fight  against  all 
these  Court  influences.  You  can't  do  it.  You  don't 
know  Crudenstadt  and  I  do.  The  old  Minister,  von 
Eckerstein,  is  a  man  who  is  never  beaten.  If  you  were 
to  succeed  in  actually  getting  away  with  Celia  scot-free 
from  Saxe-Lippe,  he'd  have  her  back  again  by  fair 
means  or  foul,  and  your  marriage  would  be  declared 
void  or  morganatic  or  some  such  horrible  thing;  and 
you'd  be  worse  off  than  ever." 

"  I  don't  take  him  quite  so  seriously  as  that,  Alice," 
and  I  was  inclined  to  smile  at  her  exaggerated  notions 
of  his  power.  "  At  any  rate  I  shall  try ;  but  I  don't 
wish  to  compromise  you." 


A  STRANGE  DEVELOPMENT  249 

"You  will  fail ;  and  what's  more,  I  don't  think  you 
ought  to  succeed.  The  question  of  the  heirship  to  the 
throne  here  is  vastly  more  important  than  your  mar- 
riage ;  you  must  see  that.  And  Celia  herself  would 
probably  see  it,  too,  six  months  hence.  If  I  were 
found  to  be  helping  you  it  would  get  both  me  and  the 
Major  into  an  ugly  complication." 

"  The  Major  is  sufficiently  aware  of  that,  I  fancy," 
said  I,  drily,  and  my  sister  looked  sharply  at  me.  "  I 
mean  that  he  considers  it  his  duty  to  report  my  move- 
ments to  the  authorities." 

"  It  is  his  duty,  in  a  way  ;  but  Rudolf  would  never 
do  anything  to  injure  you,  Stanley." 

"  My  dear  girl,  pray  don't  think  I  mean  to  set  you 
two  by  the  ears ;  but  if  you  feel  that  you  must  tell 
him  anything  that  passes  between  you  and  me  about 
this  matter,  then  we'll  act  no  more  together.  He  is  a 
Saxe-Lippe  officer,  I'm  an  Englishman,  and  our  inter- 
ests in  this  clash  ;  and  that's  all  about  it." 

"  I  shall  help  you  all  I  can,  of  course,  and  as  you 
don't  wish  it,  I  won't  say  anything  to  Rudolf.  But 
it's  skating  on  thin  ice  for  us  all,  and  we  may  go 
through  at  any  moment.  But  I'm  your  sister,  and 
you  don't  suppose.  .  .  ." 

"  No,  I  don't,  Alice,"  I  interrupted,  with  a  smile, 
"  it'll  all  come  right  in  the  end,"  and  I  said  no  more, 
deeming  it  best  to  leave  matters  where  they  stood 
after  her  declaration.  A  day  or  two  at  the  most  must 
surely  see  the  climax  of  the  matter. 

As  soon  as  Alice  left  me  I  went  in  quest  of  Stein, 
and  not  finding  him  at  his  house  left  word  for  him  to 
come  to  my  hotel  ;  and  I  went  back  there  to  wait.  It 
was  better  to  lose  an  hour  or  two  than  to  attempt  any 


250  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

search   by  myself  and   although  I  found  the  enforced 
delay  very  irksome,  it  turned  out  most  luckily. 

I  had  been  waiting  some  two  hours  when  a  note  was 
brought  me  from  my  sister  with  an  enclosure  which 
I  recognised  with  infinite  relief  to  be  in  the  handwrit- 
ing of  Katrine.  I  tore  it  open  and  the  contents  filled 
me  with  greater  amazement,  I  think,  than  anything 
which  had  yet  occurred. 

"  Dear  Friend, 

"  All  is  well.  A  most  remarkable  development  has 
occurred,  and  in  a  few  hours — a  day  perhaps,  or  at 
most  two  days  I  shall,  I  believe,  be  able  to  restore 
Celia  to  you.  Be  patient.  I  cannot  tell  you  where 
we  are ;  nor  is  it  necessary  for  you  to  know.  There  is 
to  be  a  marriage,  but  it  will  be  mine ;  for  Karl  will 
marry  me,  not  Celia.  I  am  the  happiest  girl  now,  who 
once  was  the  wretchedest.  It  is  wonderful.  I  can  scarce 
believe  it.  But  it  is  true — all  true.  And  you  know 
you  can  trust  me.  All  the  blackness  is  passed  and  the 
sun  shines  again  in  my  life.  Patience,  and  you  shall 
know  all. 

"  Katrine." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  WORK  OF   RESCUE 

I  WAS  still  studying  this  most  unexpected  letter, 
marvelling  at  the  news,  and  speculating  whether  it  was 
genuine  or  another  turn  of  von  Kronheim's  cunning, 
when  Stein  arrived. 

He  was  a  keen  looking  little  fellow  with  the  reddest 
hair  I  had  ever  seen.  The  mention  of  my  sister's 
name  was  a  ready  passport  to  his  good  graces. 

"  I  need  your  services  for  a  time,"  I  said  to  him. 
"  I  cannot  say  how  long,  but  I  will  pay  you  well  if  you 
serve  me  well,  whether  the  time  be  long  or  short. 
The  friend  who  has  given  me  your  name,  Frau  von 
Haussmann,  assures  me  I  can  depend  absolutely  upon 
your  confidence." 

"  Absolutely,"  he  said,  nodding  his  head  with  a  jerky 
emphasis.  "  I  would  do  anything  to  serve  that  lady. 
She  saved  the  lives  of  my  wife  and  child  by  her  kind- 
ness and  help  when  I  needed  both,  and  I  don't  forget. 
In  what  capacity  can  I  help  you."  I  liked  his  quick, 
intelligent,  direct  manner. 

"  I  have  to  make  some  inquiries  and  want  your 
assistance." 

"  I,  am  at  home  in  that  work.     What  are  the  facts  ?  " 

"  Since  I  sent  for  you  I  have  received  a  letter  which 
may  much  simplify  matters,  but  unfortunately  there  is 
no  address  to  it." 

251 


252  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"The  post-mark?"  he  asked  quickly. 

"  Unfortunately  I  haven't  the  envelope.  It  was 
sent  under  cover  to  another  person  who  forwarded  it 
to  me." 

"  Can  I  go  and  see  that  person  ?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course,  you  can  ;  I  had  not  thought  of  it. 
It  is  the  Frau  von  Haussmann  herself.  Go  and  see 
her  and  ask  for  the  envelope  in  which  the  letter  came 
that  she  has  just  sent  me.  You  will,  of  course,  speak 
to  no  one  else." 

His  answer  was  a  sharp  glance  of  rebuke,  as  though 
I  had  reflected  on  his  shrewdness. 

"  I  will  go  to  her  house  and  follow  her  if  she  is  not 
at  home.  Will  you  wait  for  me  here  ?  "  and  without 
hearing  my  reply  he  was  off. 

The  promptness  with  which  he  acted  instead  of 
wasting  time  in  talking  was  distinctly  pleasing,  while 
his  foresight  in  anticipating  the  possibility  of  Alice's 
absence  and  his  condensed  statement  of  an  intention 
to  follow  her  and  a  request  that  I  should  wait  for  him 
was  full  of  promise. 

In  half  an  hour  he  was  back. 

"  Frau  von  Haussmann  is  out,  has  been  called  away 
somewhere,  and  will  not  be  back  until  the  afternoon," 
he  reported  with  the  same  condensed  directness.  "  I 
thought  it  best  to  come  back  and  you  can  tell  me  some 
of  the  facts.  I  can  then,  with  your  consent,  of  course, 
make  my  arrangements." 

Alice's  absence  was  disappointing,  but  it  was  clear 
we  could  do  nothing  to  follow  the  clue  of  the  envelope 
until  she  returned,  and  I  therefore  told  him  so  much 
of  the  facts  as  I  deemed  necessary.  We  had  to  tmce 
von  Kronheim,  and  I  asked  him  to  suggest  the  best 


THE  WORK  OF  RESCUE  253 

steps  to  take.  I  told  him,  of  course,  the  likely  places 
which  Alice  had  mentioned  to  me. 

He  sat  twirling  a  straggling  end  of  his  ragged  red 
beard  meditatively  for  a  couple  of  minutes. 

"  You  say  the  Count  is  hurt,  badly  ?  "  and  his  shrewd 
little  eyes  seemed  as  if  he  had  already  penetrated  the 
secret  of  the  duel  and  knew  all  about  it. 

"  Very  badly." 

"  Bad  enough  to  need  a  doctor's  help  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Certainly,  I  should  say."     He  smiled. 

"  Then  it  will  be  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world. 
A  question  to  the  doctors  in  each  of  the  places  you 
name  will  tell  us  all  we  want  to  know  without  going 
near  the  Count's  house.  Expense  is  no  object,  I  un- 
derstand," he  added,  as  he  was  running  his  eye  over 
the  list  of  places,  and  when  I  assured  him  it  was  not, 
he  was  on  his  feet  ready  to  start. 

"  We  can  do  these  three  places  and  be  back  here  this 
afternoon  in  time  to  look  for  the  direct  clue.  That 
may  fail  us,  too,  and  this  will  in  any  case  fill  in  the 
time  usefully  ;  "  and  in  this  brief  abrupt  manner  he 
took  charge  of  the  expedition,  and  we  set  out  at  once 
on  the  search. 

There  is  no  need  to  give  the  details  of  the  work  he 
managed  to  cram  into  the  space  of  a  few  hours,  but  it 
gave  me  an  insight  into  his  rare  energy,  method  and 
capacity.  We  found  no  trace  of  von  Kronheim,  but  he 
was  not  in  the  least  surprised  or  cast  down  in  con- 
sequence. 

"  We  know  three  places  where  not  to  look,"  he  said  ; 
"  and  in  a  hunt  of  the  kind  that  is  a  great  deal  ;  "  and 
leaving  me  to  find  my  way  to  the  hotel,  he  hurried  to 
my  sister's  house. 


254  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

At  the  hotel  I  waited  an  hour  for  him  and  he  then 
brought  news  that  Alice  had  not  returned. 

"  But  I  didn't  lose  my  time,"  he  added,  in  his  jerky 
manner.  "  I  went  in  to  wait  and  managed  to  get  left 
in  the  room  where  Frau  von  Haussmann  received  her 
letters  and  I  examined  the  waste-paper  basket  which  I 
found  in  it.  She  is  a  careful  woman  and  seems  to  have 
torn  up  the  envelope.  I  did  not  know  what  kind  of 
writing  to  look  for,  so  I  brought  all  away  that  did  not 
appear  to  me  quite  useless."  All  the  time  he  was  speak- 
ing he  was  emptying  torn  scraps  of  paper  on  to  my 
table  from  his  pockets.  "  If  you  can  catch  a  glimpse  of 
any  writing  you  recognise,  the  rest  will  be  easy,"  he  said, 
and  in  a  moment  I  was  deep  in  the  task  of  trying  to 
discover  some  trace  of  Katrine's  handwriting  among 
the  waste. 

"  That  is'  it,"  I  cried,  at  length,  pouncing  on  a  scrap 
with  half  the  word  "  Haussmann  "  upon  it. 

"  Good.  It's  a  peculiar  kind  of  paper,  too,  and  that'll 
help  us  ;  "  and  with  a  dexterity  that  to  me  was  truly 
remarkable,  he  singled  out  scrap  after  scrap  of  the 
envelope  and  pieced  them  together  most  cleverly. 
"  My  child's  fond  of  this  game,"  he  said  once,  and  then 
gave  a  sudden  exclamation  :  "  Ah,  here  we  are— 
Priesburg  is  the  place  we're  seeking,  Mr.  Blyth  ;  "  and 
he  held  up  the  scrap  with  the  obliterated  stamp  and  the 
postmark,  and  showed  me  where  and  how  it  fitted  to 
the  rest  of  the  envelope. 

A  reference  to  the  list  of  places  my  sister  had  given 
me  completed  the  address — Herr  von  Hoffnung,  Schloss 
Hoffnung,  Priesburg. 

"  Shall  we  start,  sir  ?  "  cried  this  most  indefatigable 
man.     "  It's  only  fifteen  miles  or  so  from  Crudenstadt 


THE  WORK  OF  RESCUE  25s 

to  the  southeast.  We  can  drive  it  in  little  over  an 
hour,  and  get  there — it's  a  few  minutes  to  six  now — say 
by  half-past  seven  at  the  latest." 

"  Yes,  go  and  get  the  best  horses  you  can  hire  ;  "  and 
almost  before  the  words  had  left  my  lips  he  was  out  of 
the  room,  and  I  was  looking  forward  with  a  pleasure  I 
can  scarcely  put  in  words  to  striking  once  more  a  good 
ringing  blow  in  Celia's  cause.  What  a  contrast  from  my 
overnight  despondency  !  But  there,  who  could  feel 
despondency  with  such  a  man  as  this  Stein  to  keep 
one's  confidence  at  boiling  point. 

It  was  a  glorious  evening  for  the  drive ;  the  air  was 
bright  and  clear  ;  the  horses  strong,  quick-moving  and 
fresh  ;  I  was  confident  of  success  ;  and  I  thoroughly  en- 
joyed the  journey.  On  the  way  I  took  Stein  some- 
what more  into  my  confidence,  and  we  discussed  the 
best  means  of  procedure. 

I  had  no  mind  for  any  more  heroics  such  as  those  of 
the  preceding  night,  and  did  not  intend  to  trust  myself 
alone  in  the  house.  I  had  developed  a  zest  for  some- 
thing much  more  commonplace,  and  my  intention  now 
was  to  take  no  risks  which  could  possibly  be  avoided. 

"  I  think  I  had  better  go  first  to  the  house,  sir,"  said 
Stein,  after  thinking  things  out.  "  They  can't  do  any- 
thing to  me  more  than  kick  me  out  ;  and  I  don't  sup- 
pose they'll  be  any  more  anxious  for  a  row  than  we 
are.  If  you'll  leave  me  to  myself  for  half  an  hour,  I'll 
warrant  to  find  out  all  we  want  to  know  and  to  get  a 
letter  inside  to  either  of  the  young  ladies." 

"  How  ?  "     But  he  shook  his  head  knowingly. 

"  Don't  ask  how.  If  you  don't  know,  you  can't  be 
responsible.  But  I'll  do  it,  somehow, — if  it's  to  be 
done,  of  course  ;  and  I'm  not  easily  baffled." 


256  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  No,  I  should  think  not,"  I  agreed,  with  a  smile. 
The  contagion  of  his  confidence  was  remarkable ;  and 
after  a  little  discussion  I  agreed  to  the  suggestion  and 
that  I  should  write  a  line  to  Katrine,  merely  saying  I 
was  near  at  hand,  and  would  leave  it  to  him  to  get  it 
delivered. 

I  found  Priesburg  was  a  smaller  place  even  than 
Mempach.  It  had  once  been  a  large  village,  but  the 
industry  had  died  out  ;  it  was  full  of  empty  houses, 
many  in  ruins,  and  presented  a  most  desolate  and  de- 
serted appearance.  The  Schloss  Hoffnung,  we  learnt, 
stood  three  miles  out  in  a  very  secluded  spot  in  the 
hills,  wild  and  difficult  of  access.  Altogether  a  dif- 
ferent place  from  anything  we  had  anticipated.  It  had 
been,  in  times  long  past,  one  of  the  strongholds  of  the 
district,  and  was  an  ideal  spot  for  the  use  to  which  von 
Kronheim  had  intended  to  put  it. 

We  thought  first  of  leaving  the  horses  at  a  farmhouse 
about  a  mile  on  the  Crudenstadt  side — the  nearest 
house  to  the  Schloss  we  were  told — intending  to  finish 
the  journey  on  foot,  but  changed  this  plan  because  of 
what  the  people  there  told  us. 

"  There's  been  a  lot  of  coming  and  going  there  to- 
day," said  the  farmer's  wife.  "  Rare  doings,  I  should 
think."  I  pricked  up  my  ears  at  that  and  listened  while 
Stein  questioned.  He  had  a  rare  gift  of  insinuating 
himself  into  the  good  opinion  of  almost  every  one  he 
met. 

"  Very  gay,  are  they?"  he  asked. 

"  Don't  know  about  gay.  My  boy  was  up  there  this 
afternoon  and  says  it  looked  more  like  trouble  and 
fighting  than  pleasuring." 

"  Yes,  I  heard  a  couple  of  parties  arrived  there  early 


THE  WORK  OF  RESCUE  257 

this  morning,  and  somebody  was  ill.  You've  got  a 
nice  place  here." 

"  Don't  know  about  nice,  it's  as  full  of  damp  as  a 
rotten  orange.  Yes,  somebody's  ill,  sure  enough  ;  but 
there's  been  four  or  five  more  gentlemen  driving  and 
riding  up  there  not  long  since  ;  and  my  boy  says  they've 
been  carrying  on  in  a  queer  fashion.  I  wouldn't  won- 
der if  there's  trouble  there  before  long,  I  wouldn't. 
However  I  mustn't  grumble,  for  they've  cleared  me  out 
of  most  everything  I'd  got  in  the  house.  Milk,  and 
eggs,  and  fowls.  But  mayhap  you  know  some  of  the 
people  there,  and  of  course  I  oughtn't  to  talk." 

"  No,  we've  only  got  a  little  bit  of  business  to  do 
there,  and  must  get  on.  I  think  we'd  better  drive  and 
not  leave  the  horses  too  far  away  from  us,  sir,"  he 
added  to  me ;  and  we  then  resumed  the  journey. 

I  couldn't  make  head  or  tail  of  the  woman's  story, 
unless  it  was  the  case  that  the  Duke's  agents  had  got 
wind  of  von  Kronheim's  movements  and  were  on  his 
track. 

"  You  can't  think  of  any  second  party  who  might 
be  after  the  Count,  can  you  ?  "  asked  Stein,  breaking 
a  long  pause.  "  It's  quite  clear  there  is  a  second 
party." 

"  Yes,  it's  possible.  He's  playing  a  high  game,  and 
it  may  be  that  it's  got  known." 

"  Umph  !  Well,  I'm  afraid  we're  not  going  to  have 
just  the  plain  sailing  we  hoped  for.  When  we  get 
near  the  castle  we'll  hide  the  trap  and  go  on   foot  to 

see  what  it  means.      But   I    don't  like  the  look 

Hullo!  what's  this?" 

The  sound  of  a  galloping  horse  reached  us,  and 
round  the  bend  in  the  lane  came  a  man  riding  in  hot 
i7 


258  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

haste.  We  drew  aside  to  give  him  room,  and  with  a 
sharp  cry  he  reined  up,  throwing  his  horse  on  to  his 
haunches  as  he  recognised  me.  It  was  Captain  von 
linger,  and  the  meeting  was  profoundly  unfortunate, 
I  thought. 

"  This  is  well  met,  Sir  Stanley,  indeed,"  he  said, 
riding  to  my  side  of  the  carriage.  "  Are  »you  going  to 
the  castle?  There  have  been  strange  doings  there. 
Can  I  have  a  word  in  private  ?  "  He  spoke  with  an  air 
of  great  excitement. 

"  I'll  get  out  and  hold  the  horses'  heads,  sir,"  said 
Stein,  with  his  customary  quick  grip  of  the  position. 

"What  do  you  wish  with  me?"  I  asked,*turning  then 
to  the  captain. 

"  Will  you  and  your  companion»help  us,  Sir  Stanley? 
I  was  riding  for  help.  It  may  seem  a  strange  request, 
but  we  are  in  a  terrible  mess  up  there.  Von  Kron- 
heim's  brother  has  got  wind  of  what  he  is  doing — I 
believe  Hoffnung  here  betrayed  us — and  has  sent  half- 
a-dozen  of  his  people  to  the  place,  and  they  are  just 
playing  the  devil  with  everything.  For  the  moment 
they've  got  the  upper  hand,  and  are  even  now  getting 
ready  to  carry  of  the  Duchess  Marie,  her  daughter  and 
von  Kronheim,  and  so  wreck  everything.  But  if  you 
and  your  companion  will  help  us,  we  can  turn  the 
tables  on  them  even  now  and  save  everything.  But 
minutes  are  precious." 

"  Why  should  I  save  von  Kronheim?" 

"  Because  you  can  save  the  young  Duchess  Celia  and 
take  her  away.  I  can't  tell  you  the  reason — I  don't 
know  it  myself,  or  I  would,  on  my  honour — but  I  do 
know  that  von  Kronheim  had  given  up  his  intention 
to  make  the  marriage  which  had  so  incensed  you,  and 


THE  WORK  OF  RESCUE  259 

was  going  to  place  the  Duchess  Celia  in  your  charge 
again.  If  you  will  help,  I  pledge  you  my  honour  that 
if  we  are  successful,  she  shall  be  placed  in  your  charge 
again  at  once.  If  Graf  Wilhelm  gets  hold  of  her,  I 
need  not  tell  you  he  will  never  let  her  go  again — at  all 
events,  not  until  he  is  firmly  on  the  throne  of  Saxe- 
Lippe.  To  gain  that  end  he  might  perhaps  marry  her ; 
but  if  you  know  anything  of  him,  you  will  know  the 
character  he  bears — as  wine  to  water  compared  with 
that  of  his  brother,  my  friend.  She  has  never  been  in 
such  peril  as  threatens  her  now,  Sir  Stanley  ;  and  this 
just  when  she  was  on  the  eve  of  being  entrusted  to 
you." 

"  What  are  the  chances  of  rescuing  her  ?  " 

"  Excellent.  We  were  taken  completely  by  surprise. 
Von  Schimmell  is  wounded,  and  von  Kronheim  is,  of 
course,  out  of  everything,  owing  to  his  wound.  But 
they  are  only  six  men,  and  they  caught  us  one  at  a 
time.  I  escaped  by  rare  luck.  And  if  you  will  help, 
we  can  treat  them  to  a  dose  of  their  own  prescription. 
Your  servant  Wilson  is  locked  up  in  the  castle,  but  I 
can  release  him  ;  old  Schwartz  will  make  another ;  von 
Kruppen  is  unhurt,  and  there  are  the  servants.  We 
can  do  it  easily.     What  say  you  ?  " 

I  was  ready  enough  after  what  he  had  said.  I  called 
Stein  to  us  and  explained  very  briefly  the  position, 
leaving  him  free  to  decide. 

"  I'll  take  my  chance,  sir,  willingly,"  he  said ;  and 
clambering  at  once  into  the  carriage  we  started  the 
horses.  He  might  have  been  an  Irishman  for  his  glee- 
ful anticipation  of  a  scrimmage. 

When  we  had  gone  a  little  farther  up  the  lane  von 
Unger  led  us  by  a  side  road  to  the  fields  at  the  fear  of 


260  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

the  castle,  and  we  stabled  the  three  horses  and  trap  in 
a  barn  there  and  locked  them  in. 

"  We  can  get  into  the  castle  by  a  small  door  at  this 
end,  and  I  can  in  a  few  minutes  liberate  Wilson  and 
get  hold  of  von  Kruppen  and  Schwartz.  Then  we  will 
find  out  where  Graf  Wilhelm's  people  are,  and  make 
our  swoop  on  them  as  seems  best.  We  are  seven  to 
six  as  it  is,  and  shall  have  all  the  advantages  of  a  sur- 
prise. They  will  never  dream  I  can  get  back  with  help 
for  some  hours  to  come.  I  thank  heaven  I  met  you," 
he  broke  off,  earnestly. 

He  knew  the  place  well  and  led  us  successfully  under 
the  cover  of  the  shrubberies  right  up  to  the  wall  of  the 
castle  to  the  postern  door  he  had  mentioned. 

"We  shall  have  to  go  cautiously  now,"  he  whis- 
pered, when  we  were  inside.  "  Even  if  they  were»to 
find  us  we  could  make  a  fight  for  it,  but  we  can  avoid 
nearly  all  trouble  if  we  take  them  by  surprise." 

"Where  are  the  ladies'  quarters?"  I  asked. 

"At  the  other  end.  I  believe  the  idea  is  to  wait 
until  the  light  has  pretty  well  gone  and  then  leave  the 
castle.  They  are  a  rough,  dare-devil  lot,  and  not 
likely  to  keep  too  good  a  watch.  But  they  will  need 
to  be  handled  cautiously,  for  they  are  all  armed  and 
won't  stick  at  much." 

We  had  now  passed  up  a  flight  of  stairs  and  along  a 
corridor  toward  the  middle  of  the  building,  and  we 
came  to  a  deep  oriel  window  recess  behind  the  curtains 
of  which  von  Unger  took  us. 

"  Below  us,  just  a  few  feet  farther  on,  is  the  big  hall 
from  which  large  rooms  lead,  and  I  expect  the  men  are 
now  down  there  in  the  dining-saloon  eating,  or  more 
probably  drinking.     Will  you  wait  here  while  I  go  in 


THE  WORK  OF  RESCUE  261 

search  of  the  rest  of  our  party?  They  will  have  one 
man,  or  at  most  two,  posted  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  rooms  of  the  Duchess  and  her  daughter, 
and  there  is  just  a  chance  that  while  I  am  away  some 
one  may  pass  either  up  to  or  down  from  those  rooms. 
In  that  case  if  there  is  any  trouble  will  you  deal  with 
him?" 

He  went  away  then  quickly  and  quietly,  and  his 
back  was  scarcely  turned  before  Stein  began  to  show 
impatience  to  get  to  work  on  his  own  account. 

"  I  could  slip  down  the  stairs  and  find  out  where 
everyone  is  in  a  couple  of  minutes,"  he  said,  persua- 
sively. "  And  we  could  have  a  plan  cut  and  dried  by 
the  time  he  returns.  No  one  would  know  I  wasn't  one 
of  the  servants,  for  there  must  be  at  least  two  different 
lote  of  'em  in  the  place." 

"  You  had  better  wait.  We  shall  be  much  stronger 
when  we  act  all  in  a  body." 

"  I  could  at  any  rate  slip  upstairs  then  and  find 
out  where  the  ladies  are  and  what's  happening  to 
them,"  he  urged  next ;  but  again  I  vetoed  the  sugges- 
tion. 

"  If  anyone  looks  in  here  we  shall  be  in  an  ugly  fix," 
he  murmured,  a  minute  later ;  and  his  desire  to  be 
doing  something  made  him  so  exceedingly  restless  and 
impatient  that  when  Captain  von  Unger  had  been  ab- 
sent nearly  half  an  hour,  I  could  not. keep  him  on  the 
leash. 

"  Don't  get  too  far  away  from  here,  but  keep  within 
call,  and  above  all  things  don't  let  anyone  discover 
you,"  I  said  as  a  parting  caution.  The  long  absence 
of  von  Unger  made  me  anxious  and  the  suspicion 
crossed  my  mind  that  after  all  some  treachery  toward 


262  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Celia  and  myself  might  be  intended.  Stein  left  me  his 
restlessness  as  an  uncomfortable  legacy,  and  as  I  peered 
out  from  the  curtains  at  the  side  of  the  recess  and 
strained  my  ears  in  vain  to  catch  any  sound  of  the 
captain's  return,  I  grew  ill  at  ease. 

The  evening  light  was  waning  fast  and  heavy  shadows 
began  to  hang  about  the  hall  and  corridors  enveloping 
the  place  in  a  darkening  gloom,  and  still  there  was  no 
sign  of  von  Unger.  The  time  was  approaching  when 
he  himself  had  declared  the  attempt  was  likely  to  be 
made  to  get  Celia  away  ;  and  I  began  to  fret  and  fume 
sorely  at  his  delay. 

There  was  no  sign  of  Stein  either,  and  although  I 
was  quite  ready  to  believe  he  would  be  well  able  to 
render  a  good  account  of  himself  whatever  happened, 
I  was  irritated  that  he  did  not  return. 

Then,  just  as  my  impatience  was  passing  beyond 
control,  there  came  a  sudden  change.  I  heard  a  door 
slammed  on  the  floor  below,  followed  by  the  steps  of 
some  one  running  quickly  across  the  hall,  the  smothered 
sound  of  the  laughter  of  men,  the  opening  of  a  door 
into  the  hall,  and  the  finish  of  the  laughter  loud  and 
strident.     Then  a  man's  harsh  voice  cried  : 

"  Hullo,  you  there.  Who  the  devil  are  you  and 
what  are  you  doing  ?  " 

"  I  was  going  to  light  the  lamps,  my  lord."  This  in 
Stein's  voice. 

"  And  who  the  devil  told  you  to  '  light  the  lamps, 
my  lord?'  "  was  the  mocking  reply.  "  Here,  Richter, 
who's  this  fellow  ?     Come  down  here,  sirrah." 

"  It's  my  usual  duty,  my  lord,"  said  Stein,  "  but  if 
you  don't  desire  it  I'll  tell  the  others  it's  not  to  be 
done."     I  could  hear  by  his  voice  that  he  was  coming 


THE  WORK  OF  RESCUE.  263 

up  the  stairs,  not  going  down  ;  and  I  felt  that  a  crisis 
was  developing  rapidly  through  his  blundering. 

"  Do  you  hear  what  I  say,  you  scoundrel,  come  down 
here.  Devil  take  the  fool,  where's  he  gone.  Here, 
Richter,  go  and  bring  him  back,  he's  got  no  business 
up  there." 

"  Let  him  go  :  he's  only  a  blundering  idiot  of  a  serv- 
ant," said  a  second  voice.  "  We've  something  more 
important  to  do  than  play  hide-and-seek  with  a  flunkey. 
It's  time  we  were  off.  The  carriages  will  be  here  in  a 
moment." 

The  first  voice  growled  out  an  oath  and  Stein  re- 
joined me. 

"  It  was  a  near  shave,  but  I've  got  their  plan,"  he 
whispered.  "  I  overheard  them.  One  man  has  gone 
round  to  the  stables  to  fetch  up  the  carriages  and  their 
horses  ;  two  are  upstairs  guarding  the  ladies,  and  there 
are  three  below.  If  we  only  knew  where  the  captain 
was  who  left  us  here  we  could  catch. the  whole  lot  in  a 
trap." 

Wilson  arrived  just  at  that  very  moment,  and  brought 
me  the  very  information  we  needed.  Von  Unger  sent 
word  that  he  and  those  with  him  were  going  to  sur- 
prise the  two  men  upstairs  and  wished  me  to  prevent 
any  of  those  who  were  below  from  interfering  in  the 
event  of  anything  being  heard  of  the  struggle.  But 
this  I  could  not  do  as  Wilson  arrived  just  too  late. 

One  of  the  three  had  gone  upstairs  just  before  Wil- 
son's arrival  and  we  had  heard  him  say  he  would  call  the 
other  two  up  if  there  was  any  need  of  their  presence. 

Then  came,  all  suddenly,  a  cry  of  surprise  from  th£ 
upper  part  of  the  castle,  followed  by  shouts  and  the 
sound  of  a  struggle. 


264  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  By  God,  there's  something  wrong ;  come  quick," 
cried  the  man  whose  voice  I  had  first  heard,  and  he 
and  his  companion  came  clattering  up  the  stairs. 

I  darted  to  the  stair  head,  followed  by  Wilson  and 
Stein  and  drawing  my  revolver  I  levelled  it  point  blank 
at  the  foremost. 

"  You  can't  pass  here,  gentlemen.  Another  step 
and  I  shall  fire." 

They  almost  tumbled  backwards  in  their  sudden 
astonishment,  and  we  stood  thus  for  the  space  of  some 
seconds,  facing  each  other  in  dead  silence,  while  the 
noise  and  crash  and  cries  of  the  struggle  going  on  above 
us  resounded  through  the  castle. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

TOGETHER  ONCE   MORE 

Whoever  the  man  confronting  me  was,  he  soon 
made  it  plain  that  it  was  astonishment  and  not  fear 
that  had  checked  him,  for  he  looked  me  steadily  in  the 
face  and  despite  my  revolver  spoke  quite  calmly. 

"  By  what  right  do  you  try  to  stop  me  ?  " 

"  By  force,"  said  I  curtly.  "  I  have  come  to  prevent 
your  carrying  out  the  scheme  you  have  formed,  and  I 
mean  to  do  it." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  I  don't  know  you.  What  has  this 
to  do  with  you  ?  " 

"  No  matter  who  I  am,  but  this  business  has  much 
to  do  with  me." 

"  I  shall  brook  no  interference  from  you  ;  stand  aside 
and  let  me  pass,"  he  cried,  angrily  and  imperiously. 

"You  will  not  pass  here." 

At  this  moment  a  loud  cry  for  help  came  from  above, 
and  then  the  sound  of  a  pistol  shot,  followed  by  a 
fresh  cry  in  more  urgent  tones  to  the  men  we  held  at 
bay.  The  leader  of  the  two  started  and  I  saw  his  hand 
go  stealing  to  his  pocket. 

"  If  you  attempt  to  draw  on  me,  I  shall  fire,"  I  said. 

"  Look  out,  sir,"  cried  Stein  quickly,  at  that  moment. 
He  had  fortunately  kept  his  eye  on  the  second  man, 
and  I  had  just  time  to  move  aside  as  the  report  of  his 
pistol  fired  from  behind  the  leader  rang  out.  The 
next  moment  Stein  sprang  at  him  like  a  terrier  at  a 

265 


266  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

rat  and  the  two  went  rolling  down  the  staircase  in  a 
wild  scrambling  struggle. 

"  Help  him,  Wilson,  quick,"  I  cried,  and  in  the  mo- 
mentary confusion  the  leader  rushed  at  me  and  tried 
to  wrest  the  revolver  from  my  grasp.  But  I  was  both 
taller  and  quicker  hjian  he  and  stronger  too,  as  it  turned 
out,  for  after  a  brief,  fierce  struggle  I  mastered  him  and 
getting  a  chance  I  struck  him  a  blow  on  the  head  with 
the  heavy  barrel  of  my  revolver  which  knocked  all  the 
fight  out  of  him  and  stretched  him  dazed  and  all  but 
unconscious  at  the  head  of  the  staircase. 

Wilson  and  Stein  had  meanwhile  won  their  tussle, 
and  telling  them  to  bring  their  man  up  to  his  compan- 
ion's side  I  left  them  to  keep  guard  over  the  pair  while 
I  hurried  upstairs. 

Matters  there  had  not  been  going  so  well  with  our 
side,  but  my  arrival  immediately  changed  the  position. 
So  long  as  the  fight  below  had  continued,  the  men 
above,  though  hard  pressed  by  von  Unger  and  his 
companions,  had  held  out  in  the  hope  that  help  would 
reach  them  ;  but  when  they  saw  a  fresh  opponent  in- 
stead of  the  sorely  needed  friend,  they  recognised  the 
inevitable  and  gave  in. 

The  victory  came  not  a  minute  too  soon.  Von 
Unger  had  been  hard  put  to  it.  The  fight  had  been 
man  to  man  ;  he  had  beaten  his  antagonist  but  one  of 
his  companions  was  hurt,  while  Schwartz  would  have 
been  overpowered  had  not  von  Kronheim  staggered 
from  his  bed  and  winged  Schwartz's  man  with  his  re- 
volver. 

He  was  now  leaning  against  a  doorway,  exhausted, 
white  as  his  shirt  and  giving  directions  for  the  securing 
and  safe  keeping  of  the  prisoners. 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  267 

"  It's  a  queer  turn  of  the  wheel  that  brings  you  to 
my  side,  Sir  Stanley,"  he  said,  turning  to  me  ;  "  but 
I'm  more  than  grateful." 

"  I've  not  come  to  help  you,  but  to  take  away  Celia," 
I  replied  curtly.     "  Where  is  she  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  wonder  why  I  let  her  go,"  he  said 
with  a  smile  that  was  half  a  sneer. 

"  I  ask  no  questions,  and  have  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  your  motives.  I  shall  not  leave  without  her." 
He  looked  at  me  malignantly  as  though  inclined  to  re- 
fuse to  let  her  leave.  "  If  you  raise  any  obstacle  now," 
I  said  hotly,  stung  by  his  look  and  the  thought  of 
treachery  it  roused,  "  I  shall  know  what  to  do.  I  hold 
the  balance  here  and  can  undo  in  a  minute  what  I've 
helped  to  do." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  stop  her,  if  you'll  promise  one 
thing — to  get  her  out  of  the  Duchy  without  a  moment's 
delay.     I  suppose  that'll  suit  you  ?  " 

"  I  make  no  conditions  with  you.  Where  is  she?  '* 
At  that  instant  there  came  a  loud  clattering  and  thump- 
ing at  a  door  close  by. 

"  There's  your  answer.  That's  the  dam's  heels,  and 
the  filly's  close  by,"  he  cried,  laughing  at  his  coarse 
jest.  "  Take  her,  and  the  sooner  you're  away  the 
better.  Wait.  Von  Unger,  you'd  better  bring  her 
out,  or  if  the  mother  sees  you,  Sir  Stanley,  she  may 
stop  you.  She  don't  love  you,  and  she  isn't  pretty  in 
her  tantrums." 

But  here  Schwartz  turned  round  with  a  look  of  be- 
wilderment in  his  eyes,  and  as  if  accidentally,  put  him- 
self in  Captain  von  Unger's  way  before  the  door  of  the 
Duchess's  room.     Von  Kronheim  saw  this  and  laughed. 

"  Get  out  of  the  road,  Schwartz,"  he  cried,  '*  you're 


268  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

a  useful  fellow  in  your  way  but  you  don't  understand 
everything.     And  don't  be  an  old  fool  now." 

"  If  the  young  Duchess  is  going  to  leave,  sir,  I  must 
go  too,  and  Her  Grace  must  be  told,"  said  Schwartz, 
doggedly. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  not  to  be  a  fool,  man  ?  "  this  with 
rising  anger. 

"  You  made  an  agreement  with  me,  sir,  and  I  must 
respectfully  ask  you  to  keep  it,"  was  the  reply  in  the 
sullen  tone  I  knew  so  well. 

"  And  I  must  respectfully  ask  you  to  mind  your 
place  and  not  interfere  with  my  arrangements,"  was 
the  mocking  reply.  "  Sir  Stanley,  if  you  will  wait  in 
one  of  the  rooms  below,  the  young  lady  shall  join  you 
within  a  few  minutes.     You  have  my  word." 

"  I  will  give  you  ten  minutes,"  I  replied  curtly,  and 
seeing  the  prudence  of  avoiding  a  meeting  with  Celia's 
mother,  I  went  downstairs  and  took  Wilson  and  Stein 
with  me. 

I  could  not  understand  the  course  things  were  taking 
nor  von  Kronheim's  motive  for  this  complete  change 
of  plan  ;  nor  did  I  care  to  waste  time  in  asking  him  for 
it.  To  have  Celia  again  in  my  charge  was  all  I  desired, 
and  1  had  convinced  myself  that  von  Kronheim  meant 
to  give  her  up.  Katrine  had  spoken  of  it  ;  von 
Unger  had  assured  me  the  project  of  the  marriage  had 
been  abandoned ;  von  Kronheim's  manner  had  con- 
firmed this ;  and  his  short  passage  with  Schwartz  had 
afforded  corroboration.  Most  important  of  all,  how- 
ever, I  was  in  fact  master  of  the  situation  ;  and  with 
Stein  and  Wilson  to  help  me  I  knew  I  was  quite  capa- 
ble of  getting  my  own  way,  by  force  if  necessary. 

But  there  was  no  need  for  force,     I  waited  in  the 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  269 

hall  a  few  minutes  and  then  Captain  von  Unger  came 
down  escorting  Celia. 

My  heart  gave  a  great  leap  of  delight  as  our  eyes 
met  and  she  put  her  hand  in  mine  with  a  tender  little 
pressure.  Despite  all  she  had  gone  through  and  all 
the  strain  and  suffering,  she  was  as  confident,  proud 
and  radiant  as  ever.  Captain  von  Unger  was  tactful 
enough  to  leave  us  at  once. 

"  Believe  me,  Sir  Stanley,  this  is  a  pleasant  duty  to 
me,"  he  said.  "  The  Count  desires  me  to  say  that  he 
urges  you  to  leave  the  Duchy  without  a  moment's  un- 
necessary delay." 

"  One  moment.  Miss  Katrine  Borgen,  she  is 
well  ?  " 

"  I  can  answer  that,"  declared  Celia.  "  She  is  more 
than  well ;  she  is  radiantly  happy  from  some  cause. 
Vastly  changed,  Stanley.  And  Captain  von  Unger,  I 
should  like  to  thank  you  for  the  courtesy  I  have  al- 
ways had  from  you.  The  Captain  has  been  a  great 
friend  to  me,  Stanley,  when  one  was  badly  needed  ;  " 
and  she  held  out  her  hand  to  him. 

"You  have  laid  me  under  a  deep  obligation,  then, 
Captain  von  Unger,"  I  said,  as  I  shook  hands  with  him. 

"  Take  my  advice  then  and  lose  not  a  moment  in 
crossing  the  frontier.  The  young  Duchess  has  many 
powerful  enemies ;  she  is  known  now  to  many  of  them 
by  sight,  and  this  makes  them  vastly  more  dangerous  ;  " 
and  with  that  we  parted. 

I  sent  Wilson  and  Stein  to  get  the  carriage,  saying 
we  would  follow,  and  Celia  and  I  were  once  more 
alone  together.  The  evening  had  now  closed  in  and 
the  great  hall  was  shrouded  in  sombre  shadows.  Celia 
glanced  at  me    questioningly  and  with    a   delightful 


270  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

blending  of  diffidence  and   her  old   self-reliant  buoy- 
ancy. 

"  You  have  won,  Stanley.  What  are  we  to  do 
next?" 

"  Thank  Heaven  that  all  is  well  and  that  we  are  to- 
gether again,"  I  answered  earnestly. 

"  I  have  done  that  already  ;  and  I  didn't  mean  that." 

"  I  shall  never  cease  to  do  it  all  my  life,  Celia." 

"  I  like  to  hear  that,"  she  said,  and  smiled.  "  It  is 
promising." 

"Promising?"  I  echoed,  not  understanding.  She 
lowered  her  eyes  to  the  ground  and  fidgetted  with  her 
glove. 

"  Promising,  I  mean,  from  one's  guardian."  Her 
tone  was  indescribably  significant  ;  and  I  saw  her 
meaning  and  laughed  in  my  turn. 

"  But  it  is  not  that  kind  of  guardian  who  says  it." 
She  glanced  up  swiftly  and  as  I  moved  closer  to  her, 
drew  away  with  an  elaboration  of  diffidence  that  was 
quite  unnecessary. 

"  I  have  won  my  battle,  too,"  she  said,  looking  me 
full  in  the  face.  What  play  she  could  make  with  her 
eyes,  and  how  lovely  and  full  of  love  they  appeared  to 
me. 

"  Do  you  mean  in  the  conversion  of  a  guardian  ?  " 
She  laughed  softly. 

"  Is  it  that  you  won't  understand  ?  Can  you  button 
this  glove  for  me?"  and  she  put  her  left  hand  out  to 
me  and  seemed  to  challenge  me  with  her  laughing  eyes. 
I  took  it  in  mine,  and  as  I  felt  the  ring  I  had  given  her 
on  her  finger,  I  saw  her  little  ruse. 

"  Never  anything  but  a  comedy,"  I  said,  recalling 
the  old  words  and  pressing  the  ring  through  the  glove. 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  271 

"  It  will  never  need  to  come  off  now,  Celia,  at  least  not 
until " 

"  It  is  very  dark  here,"  she  interrupted. 

"  But  I  think  I  can  protect  you  now,"  and  I  slipped 
my  arm  round  her  waist  and  drew  her  close  to  me. 

"  Isn't  that  a  great  lack  of  self-control — for  a  guard- 
ian, Stanley?"  she  asked,  severely,  turning  her  laugh- 
ing winsome  face  up  to  mine. 

"  Then  what  is  this?  "  and  I  stooped  and  kissed  her 
on  the  lips,  and  for  the  time  all  else  in  the  world  was 
forgotten  by  us  both.  We  were  only  roused  from 
dreamland  by  the  sound  of  wheels  outside  on  the  gravel 
drive. 

It  was  Wilson  with  the  carriage. 

"  I  waited  and  as  you  did  not  come,  sir,  I  thought 
perhaps  you  wished  me  to  bring  the  carriage  to  the 
door  for  Miss  Celia." 

"  Quite  right,  Wilson,  I  was  detained,"  I  said ;  and 
Celia  laughed. 

"  Have  you  finished  now,  Stanley?"  she  asked  with 
mischief  in  her  eyes  and  unconcern  in  her  voice. 

"  No,  but  I  can  finish  another  time,"  I  answered 
gravely  ;  and  then  we  both  laughed  with  a  happy  heed- 
lessness of  everything  except  the  new  delight  of  being 
together  in  complete  understanding. 

"  Where  are  we  going,  Stanley  ?  "  she  asked,  as  we 
went  out  to  the  carriage. 

"  For  the  life  of  me,  I  don't  know,"  I  cried  with 
reckless  irresponsibility  to  circumstances ;  and  in  all 
truth  I  did  not.  "You  have  driven  everything  out  of 
my  head,"  I  whispered.  "  I  am  going  back  to  Lon- 
don, of  course ;  but  which  way,  I  haven't  at  present  an 
idea." 


272  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  I  have  no  things,"  said  Celia,  producing  a  strong 
feminine  consideration. 

11  We  can  remedy  that  in  the  first  town  we  come  to," 
said  I ;  "  but  I  wonder "  I  paused. 

"  Couldn't  we  go  to  your  sister's  house  in  Cruden- 
stadt,"  she  suggested. 

"  I  was  at  that  moment  thinking  about  it.  But  I 
am  afraid  of  her  husband.  He  is  devoted  to  the  Duke's 
interest  and  knows  all  about  things,  and  would  very 
probably  rush  off  to  the  Duke's  people  and  say  you 
were  there  ;  yet  I  don't  see  where  else  to  take  you. 
Could  you  manage  without  things  till  we  are  over  the 
frontier?" 

"  I  could  manage  without  things  for  twelve  months 
rather  than  fall  into  anybody's  clutches  again,"  was  her 
energetically  spoken  reply. 

"  Well,  we'll  get  out  of  this  first,"  and  I  whipped  up 
the  horses,  and  rattled  along  the  country  lane  for  a  mile 
or  two.  Then  I  pulled  up  and  held  counsel  with  Stein. 

The  nearest  point  of  the  frontier  was  thirty-five  miles, 
he  told  me,  a  very  difficult  road  which  would  be  almost 
impossible  to  find  in  the  darkness.  The  next  nearest 
point  was  at  least  some  seventy  or  eighty  miles,  by  a 
better  but  very  circuitous  road,  also  difficult  to  pick  out 
at  night.  The  nearest  station  was  about  eight  miles,  a 
little  wayside  place  from  which  in  all  probability  there 
would  be  no  trains  till  the  morning.  All  of  which 
information  was  infinitely  disappointing. 

But  Stein  was  ready  as  usual  with  a  plan.  He  sug. 
gested  that  we  should  return  to  Crudenstadt  and  that 
Celia  should  go  to  his  house,  where,  he  declared,  she 
could  remain  in  perfect  safety  until  it  was  convenient 
to  leave. 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  273 

"  Mine  is  only  a  small  house,  of  course,  but  perhaps 
it  would  be  safer  than  a  bigger  one ;  and  I'll  pledge 
myself  for  the  young  lady's  safety.  My  wife  will  be 
only  too  proud  to  be  of  help." 

"  That  will  do  very  well,"  said  Celia,  readily. 

"  I  would  rather  get  away  at  once,"  I  declared  ;  but 
I  could  not  help  recognising  the  difficulties  in  the  way. 
It  was  exceedingly  awkward  for  us  to  be  careering 
about  the  country  together  all  through  the  night  with 
a  quite  indifferent  prospect  of  reaching  any  place  of 
safety  even  in  the  morning. 

"  I'm  a  most  troublesome  ward,  Stanley,  I'm  afraid," 
whispered  Ceha,  dismally. 

"  I'm  half  afraid  of  Crudenstadt,"  said  I,  in  much 
perplexity. 

"  The  last  place  people  generally  look  for  a  thing  is 
under  their  own  noses,  sir,"  put  in  Stein.  "  There 
would  be  a  lot  of  curiosity  too  in  any  reachable  place 
if  we  drove  up  to-night,  as  we  are  with  no  luggage  and 
proposed  to  stay.  Every  official  would  want  to  ask  no 
end  of  questions." 

"  Crudenstadt  be  it,  then,"  I  agreed.     What  he  said 

was  obviously  true,  but  I  could  not  shake  myself  free 

from  misgivings.     Celia  laughed  at  them  as  cobwebs, 

however,  and  was  cheerful,  confident  and  so  intoxicated 

with  the  sense  of  freedom  regained,  that  my  uneasiness 

had  no  chance  of  a  long  life.     It  was  soon  chased  clean 

away  by  the  ripple  of  her  laughter,  the  vigour  of  her 

trust  in  me,  the  invincible  refusal  to  look  at  anything 

but  the  bright  side  of  matters,  and  above  all,  perhaps, 

by  the  hundred   and   one  little  means  she  found   of 

expressing   her   infinite   delight  at   being  once   more 

with  me. 
18 


274  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  I  have  heard  of  people  being  drunk  with  pleasure, 
but  I  never  knew  before  what  it  could  mean,"  she  said 
once.  "  Upon  my  word  it  is  almost  worth  while  to 
have  endured  the  suspense  just  to  feel  the  sweetness 
of  relief  at  its  end." 

She  would  not  say  a  word  about  her  experiences 
with  her  mother,  nor  discuss  the  sudden  and  remark- 
able change  in  von  Kronheim's  attitude,  and  would 
scarcely  hear  a  word  about  my  plans  for  her. 

"  I  am  living  in  the  present,  Stanley,  can't  you  un- 
derstand ? "  and  she  nestled  a  little  closer  to  me. 
*'  What  matters  past  or  future  either  just  now?  This 
is  an  hour  of  life,  let  me  revel  in  it  and  steep  my 
senses,  all  of  them,  in  delicious  ignorance  of  every- 
thing but  now.  We  shall  have  years  to  talk  about  other 
things  and  times,  and  past  and  future,  and  discuss  and 
gabble,  and  chatter  and  plan,  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  But 
such  an  hour  as  this  can  scarcely  come  twice  in  a  life- 
time ; "  and  when  the  lights  of  Crudenstadt  began  to 
show  ahead  of  us  she  sighed  and  declared  she  was  sorry. 

"  I  should  have  liked  our  drive  to  go  on  for  hours," 
she  said,  ruefully,  and  then  in  one  of  her  quick  changes 
of  manner  and  tone  she  added  with  a  laugh  :  "  and  that 
shows  what  a  little  lump  of  selfish  humanity  I  am. 
Heigho,  but  it  has  been  an  hour  worth  living."  And 
so  in  all  good  truth  it  had. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  ever-vigilant  and  thought- 
ful Stein,  we  turned  away  from  the  main  road  some 
distance  short  of  the  town  and  drove  in  by  a  bye-road, 
which  took  us  in  a  few  minutes  to  a  point  near  his 
house  where  he  said  they  had  better  alight,  so  as  to 
prevent  remark;  and  I  told  Wilson  to  go  with  them 
and  join  me  afterwards  at  the  hotel. 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  275 

"  I  shall  make  all  preparations  for  getting  away  to- 
morrow as  early  as  practicable,  and  if  I  can  I'll  get 
Alice  to  come  and  see  you,"  I  said  to  Celia.  "  But  I 
shall  be  guided  only  by  considerations  of  safety.  Good- 
night, sweetheart ;  and  God  grant  all  will  be  well  to- 
morrow. I  shall  be  able  to  think  more  rationally  and 
calmly  alone,  and  will  plan  everything." 

"  Irrationality  has  been  very  delicious,  Stanley.  I 
rather  dread  sobriety,  I'm  afraid."  She  went  away 
then,  and  I  watched  her  till  the  darkness  hid  her,  and 
then  gathered  up  the  reins  and  drove  on  to  my  hotel. 

Just  as  I  reached  it  a  disquieting  thought  occurred 
to  me.  I  had  forgotten  to  tell  Wilson  that  he  must 
ask  for  me  in  the  name  of  Blyth ;  and  if  he  came  in- 
quiring for  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  or  Mr.  Stanhope  and 
was  then  found  to  be  my  servant,  it  might  be  enough 
to  set  tongues  wagging  and  cause  trouble.  This  both- 
ered me.  I  could  not  make  sure  that  even  Stein  would 
think  of  the  point,  so  small  and  yet  possibly  so  danger- 
ous ;  and  after  considering  it,  I  resolved  to  wait  for 
Wilson  outside  the  hotel. 

As  soon  as  I  had  changed  my  clothes,  therefore,  and 
ordered  some  supper,  I  stepped  out  into  the  street  in- 
tending to  smoke  a  cigar  on  my  watch ;  but  even  as  I 
passed  the  door  I  heard  a  voice  that  gave  me  a  most 
unpleasant  shock.  It  was  that  of  the  police  official 
who  had  accosted  me  at  Mempach.  He  was  sitting 
at  a  table  in  the  front  of  the  hotel  in  conversation  with 
two  or  three  other  men.  Fortunately  his  back  was 
towards  me,  so  that  he  had  not  seen  me,  and  I  stepped 
back  hurriedly  into  the  hotel,  my  heart  beating  uncom- 
fortably fast. 

At  first,  I  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  dis- 


276  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

covered  traces  of  my  movements  and  was  at  the  hotel 
in  search  of  me ;  but  this  I  dismissed  on  reflection  as 
the  fear  phantasy  of  a  hunted  man — and  hunted  I  cer 
tainly  felt  for  the  moment.  When  I  had  shaken  ofl 
this  exaggerated  panic,  I  saw  it  was  much  more  prob- 
able that  nothing  more  than  chance  had  brought  him 
across  my  path  in  this  embarrassing  manner.  But 
even  so,  the  incident  was  profoundly  unwelcome ;  and 
the  more  closely  one  examined  it  the  uglier  it  ap- 
peared. 

In  the  first  place  I  must,  if  possible,  avoid  being 
recognized,  and  clearly,  therefore,  I  must  not  wait  to 
intercept  Wilson.  Again,  if  Wilson  arrived  and  asked 
for  Mr.  Stanhope,  this  official's  presence  might  prove 
worse  than  embarrassing.  It  was  certain  enough  that 
von  Kronheim  would  have  led  him  to  expect  me  at 
the  Mempach  house  as  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  ;  my  meet- 
ing with  him  there  would  give  the  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  identity  of  Stanhope  with  Meredith  ;  and 
thus  the  train  was  now  laid  to  myself  as  Blyth  ;  and 
in  a  moment  it  might  be  fired  by  an  indiscreet  inquiry 
by  Wilson, 

The  very  fact,  too,  that  I  was  masquerading  under 
a  couple  of  aliases  was  enough,  in  a  place  of  such 
machine-like  bureaucratic  routine  as  Crudenstadt,  to 
constitute  an  offence  against  the  police  regulations; 
and  altogether  I  felt  quite  as  uncomfortable  as  I  could 
have  felt  had  I  really  been  a  criminal  in  fear  of  arrest. 
It  would  be  too  exasperating  now  at  the  eleventh  hour 
when  Celia  herself  was  safe  if  I  was  to  be  stopped 
through  such  a  trifle  as  this  forgetfulness  to  tell  Wilson 
the  change  of  name. 

I  hung  about  the  office  in  the  hall  in  the  hope   that 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  277 

he  would  come,  but  even  that  position  I  had  to  abandon 
after  about  half  an  hour,  for  the  official  himself  came 
into  the  hotel  and  stood  talking  there  with  a  friend. 
What  I  endured  in  those  minutes  of  suspense  would 
scarcely  be  believed,  so  utterly  disproportionate  to  the 
circumstances  was  my  feeling ;  and  then  as  a  climax 
to  my  ill  fortune,  I  heard  some  one  run  quickly  up  the 
steps  and  Wilson's  voice  ask  in  his  briskest  and  most 
consequential  manner  for  "  Mr.  Stanhope." 

On  leaving  the  hall  I  had  stepped  into  the  dining- 
room,  from  which  I  could  easily  hear  what  passed. 

"  There  is  no  one  stopping  here  of  that  name,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  there  must  be.  He  is  my  master,  and 
told  me  to  come  here  for  him." 

"  Then  he  has  not  arrived  yet." 

"  Perhaps  I  can  help  you,"  said  the  police  official, 
interposing  in  a  dangerously  suave  tone.  "  I  know 
Mr.  Stanhope.     He  was  at  the  Sonne,  I  think?" 

But  Wilson  was  no  fool,  and  I  concluded  that  he  did 
not  like  the  new  speaker's  looks. 

"  And  who  are  you  ?  "  he  asked  with  almost  imper- 
tinent sharpness. 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  Stanhope  yes- 
terday at  Mempach,  and  was  to  have  ridden  in  with 
him  to  the  Sonne.  He  invited  me  there.  An  exceed- 
ingly pleasant  man.  Tall,  broad,  with  a  quick  eye 
and  a  shrewd  manner.  Good-looking  Englishman  trav- 
elling here." 

Wilson  laughed. 

"Oh,  dear,  no!  My  master's  a  short,  red-haired, 
pimply-faced  man ;  rather  bandy-legged,  horsey-looking. 
You  couldn't  mistake  him.     The  first  thing  he  would 


278  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

do  would  be  to  have  one  or  two  stiff  glasses  of  brandy 
and  water.  Drinks,  you  know,  like  a  regular  fish. 
Wired  me  he'd  be  in  by  train.  He's  sure  to  come  later 
on.     Will  you  have  a  drink  with  me  ?  " 

Naturally  a  good  liar,  I  thought ;  and  though  I  dis- 
approve strongly  of  lies,  I  promised  Wilson  a  five- 
pound  note  in  my  thoughts  for  his  readiness. 

The  official  accepted  the  offer  of  the  drink,  no  doubt 
to  pump  Wilson,  and  it  was  ordered  to  be  taken  out- 
side. 

"  Shall  I  reserve  rooms  for  your  master?"  asked  the 
proprietor  next.     "And  will  you  stop  here  yourself?" 

"Safer  to  wait  for  the  next  train  in,  I  think.  He's 
so  eccentric,  that  a  wire  may  come  any  moment,  telling 
me  to  go  somewhere  else."  Then  they  went  outside, 
and  I  heard  no  more. 

I  was  reassured.  Wilson  when  once  on  his  guard 
was  not  at  all  likely  to  do  anything  that  would  em- 
barrass me,  and  I  ate  my  supper  and  went  to  bed  in 
comparative  peace  of  mind  so  far  as  that  incident  was 
concerned.  But  it  whetted  my  anxiety  to  be  out  of 
Crudenstadt,  and  I  thought  out  as  carefully  as  I  could 
the  programme  for  the  coming  day.  If  all  went  well, 
the  next  night  would  find  Celia  and  myself  on  the 
English  Channel. 

But  in  that  calculation  I  was  unfortunately  reckon- 
ing, as  the  issue  proved,  without  a  due  allowance  for 
the  astuteness  of  the  Crudenstadt  police ;  and  while  I 
slept  the  sleep  of  confidence,  they  were  very  much 
awake  and  hard  at  work  preparing  my  defeat. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

NET  MAKING  AND  NET  BREAKING 

I  WAS  up  betimes  in  the  morning  and  felt  in  excel- 
lent spirits  at  the  prospect  of  speedy  departure.  As 
Wilson  was  not  with  me,  I  packed  my  luggage  and 
had  all  in  readiness  when  I  went  down  whistling  to 
breakfast. 

I  had  my  plans  all  cut  and  dried,  and  had  decided 
that  to  ensure  our  safety,  Celia  and  I  would  leave 
Crudenstadt  by  different  trains.  The  through  train 
left  at  mid-day  and  made  only  one  stoppage  before 
reaching  the  frontier  station,  Angenheim,  and  I  in- 
tended that  Stein  should  take  Celia  as  far  as  that 
station,  with  Wilson  in  attendance,  if  he  turned  up  in 
time.  I  could  leave  by  a  slower  train  an  hour  earlier 
and  take  Stein's  place  as  escort  when  the  frontier  was 
reached.     ' 

It  was  a  very  simple  matter — but  there  was  no  need 
for  any  more  elaborate  scheme — and  all  I  had  to  do 
was  to  communicate  my  wishes  to  Stein  and,  if  I  could 
find  him,  to  Wilson.  I  decided  that  there  would  be 
no  risk  in  my  paying  a  hurried  visit  to  Stein's  house 
and  telling  Celia  myself  what  I  proposed. 

I  had  just  finished  my  breakfast  when  my  sister 
arrived,  eager  to  know  whether  I  had  any  news  of 
Celia  and  curious  as  to  Stein's  two  visits  of  the  pre- 
vious day. 

She  was  delighted  with  my  news,  congratulated  me 

279 


280  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

most  heartily  and  affectionately,  and  expressed  a  keen 
desire  to  see  Celia  for  herself.  But  this  I  did  not 
think  advisable. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  not,  Alice.  I  don't  say 
there  would  be  any  actual  risk,  but  the  position  is  a 
very  ticklish  one  and  as  there  is  just  a  chance  that  a 
visit  from  you  might  be  noticed,  we  had  better  avoid 
the  risk.  You  can  come  and  pay  us  a  long  visit  in 
London  as  soon  as  you  like." 

"  But  I  go  to  the  Steins'  house  sometimes  to  see  the 
daughter.  She  does  some  work  for  me — sewing  and 
embroidery." 

"  It's  very  good  of  you  to  wish  it,  Alice,  but  I  really 
think  it  would  be  better  not.  I  was  sorely  tempted 
to  bring  her  to  you  last  night,  for  I  was  in  a  great  fix 

what  to  do;  and  she  was,  of  course,  very  keen  to  see 

»> 
you. 

"  I'm  glad  you  didn't,  Stanley.  I  myself  should  have 
been  delighted,  but " 

"  Well  ?  "  for  she  hesitated, 

"  You  know  what   I    said   about   Rudolf's  views  and 

what  you   thought  and well,  I'm   glad  you  didn't, 

that's  all." 

"  We'll  leave  it  there  and  I  can  thank  him  for  his 
kind  intentions  when  Celia  and  I  are  married." 

"You  needn't  be  horrid.  He  would  do  no  more 
than  his  duty,"  said  Alice  sharply. 

"  I  don't  care  for  people  who  are  overswollen  with  a 
sense  of  duty  which  drives  them  to  do  unpleasant 
things.     But  we  won't  squabble  about  it." 

"I  should  like  to  have  s^en  Celia  all  the  same," 
she  said  as  she  rose  to  go,  not  altogether  pleased, 
as  people  are  apt  not  to  be   when  they  wish  to  hunt 


NET  MAKING  AND  NET  BREAKING     281 

with  the  hounds  and  run  with  the  hare.  And  then 
came  an  unexpected  and  most  unwelcome  interrup- 
tion. I  had  breakfasted  in  a  small  coffee  room  and 
the  door  was  opened  and  my  sister's  husband  entered. 

He  affected  extreme  surprise  on  seeing  us ;  but  it 
was  not  very  well  assumed,  and  did  not  impose  upon 
me,  although  it  increased  my  dislike  of  him  and  roused 
my  suspicion. 

"  My  dear  Sir  Stanley,  I  did  not  know  you  were  in 
Crudenstadt.  Alice,  Alice,  why  didn't  you  tell  me  ?  " 
and  he  shook  his  head  at  her  with  an  attempt  at  a 
roguish  expression,  while  he  held  out  his  hand  to  me. 
This  was  not  at.  all  like  his  usual  conduct,  for  he  was 
of  the  order  of  solemn  fools,  and  waggishness  sat  ill 
upon  him. 

I  made  a  show  of  cordiality,  however,  and  as  we 
talked  for  a  few  minutes,  he  explained  with  a  great 
deal  of  overcarefulness,  that  he  had  come  to  the  hotel 
to  meet  a  man  about  a  horse.  Then  he  pressed  me 
not  to  think  of  leaving  Crudenstadt  without  going  to 
their  house,  and  imitating  his  humbug  I  promised  to 
dine  with  them  that  day. 

He  stayed  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  and  with 
quite  needlessly  profuse  expressions  of  cordiality 
shook  hands  and  left  with  Alice,  whose  face  was  a 
study  of  genuine  perplexity. 

That  his  visit  was  an  accident  I  wished  to  persuade 
myself,  but  could  not ;  although  I  did  not  then  see  its 
object  But  as  the  time  was  slipping  away  fast,  I  let 
them  get  away  and  started  for  Stein's  house,  taking 
care  to  see  that  I  was  not  followed  from  the  hotel. 

I  found  Celia  bright  and  cheerful  as  ever.  She  had 
already  made  captives  of  everyone  in  the  small  Stein 


282  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

household  and  received  me  with  such  a  flush  of  wel- 
come that  the  Steins'  daughter  smiled  significantly  as 
she  left  us  and  closed  the  door. 

"  Good-morning,  guardian,"  said  Celia,  putting  both 
her  hands  into  mine. 

"  Good-morning,  ward,"  I  returned,  drawing  her 
toward  me, 

"  That  smile  isn't  quite  as  free  as  I  should  wish, 
Not  more  troubles,  already,  surely  ? "  and  her  bright 
eyes  searched  my  face  shrewdly. 

"  No,  not  troubles.  We  are  together  again,"  and  at 
that  she  let  me  kiss  her  and  kissed  me  in  return. 

"  Are  you  very  glad,  Stanley  ?  I  am — oh,  so  glad. 
I  think  I  am  about  the  happiest  girl  alive."  Then 
after  a  pause — a  very  sweet  pause  it  was  too — she 
looked  up  and  added  :  "  Was  there  ever  such  an  en- 
ergetic man  in  the  world  before  as  that  Stein  ?  Do 
you  know  I'm  ready  to  start ;  have  been  ready  an  hour 
or  more.  His  wife  and  I  last  night  made  out  a  list  of 
the  things  I  should  want  for  my  journey,  and  the  two 
of  them  were  away  early  this  morning  and  everything 
was  here  ready  packed  when  I  came  down  for  break 
fast." 

"  Good.  I  had  plenty  of  proofs  of  his  energy  yes- 
terday.    Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  Doing  something  of  course,  He  simply  cannot  be 
still.     But  tell  me,  you  looked  worried  when  you  came 

in  ;  why  ?  " 

"Nothing;  at  least,  I  think  it's  nothing;"  and  I 
told  her  briefly  about  the  incident  of  the  previous 
night  and  of  my  brother-in-law's  visit  that  morning ; 
and  there  seemed  so  little  in  both  matters  and  such  a 
remote  chance  of  their  being   in  any  way  connected 


NET  MAKING  AND  NET  BREAKING     283 

that  we  laughed  at  it  all.  We  were  together,  and  it 
was  easy  to  laugh  at  things  then. 

I  told  her  next  my  plan  for  our  journey,  and  while 
we  were  discussing  it  with  delightful  little  interludes 
of  laughter  and  confidences,  Stein  arrived.  I  told  him 
and  he  readily  agreed  to  go  with  Celia  for  the  first  part 
of  the  journey.  Then  I  asked  him  if  he  had  seen  any- 
thing of  Wilson  and  laughingly  told  him  of  my  omis- 
sion to  tell  Wilson  in  what  name  to  ask  for  me  at'the 
hotel  and  what  had  occurred  in  consequence. 

But  he  saw  no  reason  for  laughter  in  it.  On  the 
contrary  he  looked  unusually  grave. 

"  Will  you  describe  that  officer  to  me  ?  "  I  gave  him 
the  closest  description  I  could,  and  he  nodded  his  head 
sagaciously.  "  I  don't  wish  to  alarm  you,  Sir  Stanley, 
but  he  is  a  very  shrewd  man  and  a  positive  sleuth- 
hound  on  a  trail.  I  saw  him  this  morning  in  close  con- 
ference with  Major  von  Haussmann." 

"The  deuce  you  did,"  I  cried,  taking  alarm  instantly. 
"  When  ?  " 

"When  I  was  out  with  my  wife  making  the  few  pur- 
chases for  the  journey.  It  would  be  before  his  visit  to 
you.  And  then,  where  is  Wilson  ?  I  don't  like  the 
look  of  it.  I  think  I  can  see  what  it  means.  That 
question  of  Wilson's  last  night  set  Grobler — that's  his 
name — thinking.  He  would  -go  to  the  Sonne  and  find 
out  that  you  had  a  servant  there  and  his  name.  A  couple 
of  questions  would  then  get  him  your  description  at 
the  Rheinhof,  and  you  would  be  instantly  recognised. 
But  he  does  nothing  for  the  moment,  you  say  ?  Why  ? 
The;  reason  is  plain.  It  is  no  longer  Mr.  Stanhope  he 
suspects,  but  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  ;  and  off  he  goes  to 
the  man  of  all  others  in  Crudenstadt,  your  sister's  hus- 


284  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

band,  who  can  describe  you  best.  The  Major  is  de- 
voted to  the  Duke's  interest,  and  what  is  easier  than  for 
him  to  have  an  appointment  at  the  Rheinhof  about  a 
horse,  and  for  a  clumsy  waiter  to  show  him  into  the 
wrong  room,  where  you  are  breakfasting?" 

"  By  Jove,  it  never  struck  me,"  I  said,  in  surprise  at 
the  manner  in  which  he  pieced  things  together.  "  At 
any  rate  I  have  got  away  and  no  one  followed  me  ;  and 
they  won't  see  me  back  again,"  and  Celia  whose  face 
had  worn  an  expression  of  concern,  smiled. 

"  Wait  a  moment,  let  us  think,  let  us  think.  Was 
there  any  need  to  follow  you  ?  Who  called  to  see  you 
at  your  hotel  yesterday  ?  Stein.  Who  was  twice  at 
the  Major's  house  yesterday  ?  Stein.  Who  went 
there  straight  from  you  and  came  back  straight  to 
you  ?  Stein.  Who  hired  horses  for  you  when  you 
went  out  of  town  yesterday  ?  Stein.  Who  went  with 
you  in  the  carriage  ?  Stein.  What  business  was  it 
likely  to  be  that  took  you  out  of  town  in  hot  haste  ? 
The  same  that  had  taken  you  to  Mempach— the  res- 
cue of  this  beautiful  young  lady.  Who  was  with  you 
in  that  business?  Stein.  All  facts  point  to  Stein.  And 
Grobler  can  read  facts  as  fast  as  you  and  I  can  read  a 
book.  What  would  be  easier  than  for  him  to  make  half 
a  dozen  inquiries  and  find  out  when  and  with  whom, 
Stein  came  home  last  night.  While  we  were  asleep, 
Sir  Stanley,  Grobler  was  at  work  net  making ;  and  the 
question  is  whether  we  can  even  now  creep  through  any 
of  the  meshes." 

As  he  rattled  off  these  points  one  by  one  in  a  quick 
jerky  question  and  answer  form,  I  felt  my  heart  sink 
lower  and  lower  as  each  further  point  of  confirmation 
was  scored. 


NET  MAKING  AND  NET  BREAKING    285 

Even  Celia  sighed  disconsolately. 

"  It  may  not  be  so  bad  as  that,"  said  Stein  quickly, 
as  if  her  little  sigh  of  sorrow  had  touched  him  closely. 
"  Wait,  I  have  an  idea.  Grobler  is  clever,  cunning,  far- 
seeing — but  he  cannot  see  everything.  If  I  understand 
your  plans,  the  thing  you  wish  above  all  others  is  that 
this  young  lady  shall  get  safely  to  England." 

"  Yes,"  I  assented  eagerly. 

"  Well,  then,  you  cannot  go  together.  Can  you  send 
for  any  one  to  fetch  her,  and  will  you  trust  her  to  my 
wife  to  take  her  to  some  town  out  of  the  Duchy  until 
your  friends  can  arrive  ?  "     Celia's  face  clouded. 

"  It  will  be  best,  Celia,"  I  said. 

"  I  am  not  afraid  to  stay  here  ;  but  I  will  go  if  you 
wish." 

"  Then  listen,  please,"  cried  Stein,  quickly.  "  We 
must  not  lose  an  hour.  At  present  Grobler  knows 
probably  that  you  are  both  in  this  house  at  this  moment 
and  reckons  you  will  try  to  go  to  England  together. 
Grobler  has  a  weakness.  He  loves  sensation.  It  is 
his  one  great  fault.  He  would  love  to  wait  until  you 
are  on  the  eve  of  departure  at  the  very  station  where 
there  would  be  a  crowd  to  see  him  stop  you,  so  that 
people  should  exclaim  :  '  That  is  Grobler's  work  again. 
A  great  man,  Grobler.  A  smart  man,  Grobler  !  '  He 
would  infinitely  rather  do  that  than  just  come  here  and 
fetch  you.  Now,  he  knows  from  your  brother-in-law 
that  you  have  no  friends  here  in  Crudenstadt  who  will 
help  you  in  such  a  matter  ;  he  has  placed  your  servant 
for  the  moment  in  safe  keeping  ;  there  remains  only 
who?  Stein.  He  thinks  nothing  of  Frau  Stein.  Frau 
Stein  shall  take  charge  of  this  precious  young  lady,  there- 
fore ;  Stein  himself  will  walk  about  the  streets,  will  go 


286  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

to  the  railway  station  to  make  inquiries,  will  be  a  fool,  in- 
deed, and  you,  Sir  Stanley,  will  go  back  to  your  hotel ; 
or  you  will  go  to  your  sister's  house  to  dinner  as  you 
arranged  ;  and  will  make  no  effort  to  leave  the  town. 
Grobler  will  thus  have  an  eye  on  the  two  people  who 
he  thinks  are  essential,  and  Frau  Stein  will  just  take  a 
quiet  country  jaunt  with  a  young,  very  plainly  dressed 
companion." 

"  Good,  excellent,  the  very  thing,"  I  cried  ;  but  Celia 
was  not  by  any  means  so  enthusiastic. 

"  But  they  will  arrest  you,  Stanley,"  she  cried  in 
alarm. 

"They  will  only  help  him  to  leave,  request  him  to 
cross  the  frontier  ;  and  he  may  not  then  be  quite  so  un- 
willing; "  and  Stein  wasted  two  seconds  to  chuckle  and 
rub  his  hands.  "  But  this  would  not  be  possible  if  it 
were  not  for  one  trifle  that  Grobler  does  not  know, 
and  trifles  are  everything  in  this  world.  There  are  two 
ways  of  getting  out  of  this  house.  The  door  by  which 
we  all  came  in,  and  a  back  way  that  no  one  ever  uses. 
I  am  sorry  to  give  the  secret  away,  for  one  never  knows 
the  use  to  which  one  might  wish  to  put  it." 

"  Couldn't  we  both  use  it  ?  "  cried  Celia,  quickly. 

"  No,  my  dear  young  lady  ;  no.  Grobler  would  never 
let  you  get  away  from  Crudenstadt  at  all,  if  Sir  Stanley 
did  not  help  to  shut  his  eyes  by  showing  himself  freely. 
Will  you  please  be  ready  in  five  minutes,  and  write 
out  the  telegram  which  is  to  hurry  your  friends  from 
England.     I  will  prepare  the  good  wife."  . 

Poor  Celia.  She  was  quite  woebegone  and  down- 
cast at  the  prospect  of  this  fresh  parting,  and  her  eyes 
and  face  were  sad  as  she  asked,  putting  her  hands  in 
mine  : 


NET  MAKING  AND  NET  BREAKING     287 

"  You  think  this  is  really  necessary  ?  " 

"  It  seems  the  only  way,  sweetheart.  It  is  a  heavy 
price  to  pay  for  just  one  small  slip  of  not  giving  Wilson 
the  name  of  Blyth.     But  it  can't  be  for  long." 

"  Any  time  will  be  long  that  we  are  kept  apart,"  she 
cried  disconsolately. 

"  You  trust  these  people  ?  "     I  asked. 

"Oh,  yes.  I  am  sure  they  are  sincere.  But  I'd 
much  rather  stay  with  you,  come  what  may.  They 
can't  force  me  to  do  any  thing  I  don't  want  to  do. 
Even  the  Duke  himself  could  not." 

"  We  can  fight  that  much  better  from  England," 
said  I.  "  Come,  let  us  draft  the  telegram.  There's  no 
need  to  tell  you  to  be  brave,  for  you're  always  brave. 
I'll  wire  that  Blossom  and  Aunt  Margaret  shall  come 
to  fetch  you ;  "  and  I  sketched  out  a  telegram  very 
urgent  in  its  terms  to  that  effect. 

"  I  shall  eat  my  heart  out  thinking  what's  happening 
to  you." 

"  We'll  arrange  to  let  you  hear  everything.  Stein 
and  his  wife  can  easily  communicate  with  each  other." 

"  I  would  give  the  world  not  to  go,"  she  said,  im- 
petuously. "  I  am  very  nearly  as  much  a  rebel  as  I 
was  once  before."  Knowing  her  heart,  I  loved  her 
the  more  for  her  words;  but  I  urged  her  none  the  less 
to  go. 

Then  Stein  came  in.  He  had  seemingly  trained  his 
wife  in  his  own  methods — to  be  ready  to  go  to  the 
world's  end  if  need  be  at  five  minutes'  notice — for  he 
said  she  was  waiting  for  Celia  to  go  and  change  in 
readiness. 

While  she  was  away  I  gave  Stein  money  sufficient 
for  the  purposes  of  the  journey  and  told  him  to  arrange 


288  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

for  communication  to  pass  between  him  and  his  wife ; 
and  when  Celia  came  back,  he  left  us  just  half  a  minute 
to  ourselves. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  sober,  fashionless  style,  like  a 
country  girl,  and  carried  a  sort  of  provision  basket. 
She  dropped  me  a  curtsey  and  with  a  laughing  glance, 
for  all  her  trouble,  she  put  her  free  arm  akimbo  and 
said  : 

"  Aunt  is  waiting  for  me,  if  you  please.  Shall  I  do, 
sir? 

"  God  bless  you,  my  darling,"  I  cried,  as  I  put  my 
arms  about  her,  and  drew  her  face  to  mine. 

"  These  rustic  embraces  are  very  rough,"  she  laughed, 
though  I  could  see  the  tears  were  very  close  to  her 
eyes.     "  I've  dropped  my  basket." 

"They  must  go  now,  please,"  said  Stein,  putting  his 
head  in  at  the  door. 

Our  hands  met  then  in  a  firm  clasp,  and  for  the  mo- 
ment Celia  had  to  fight  not  to  give  way. 

"  Good-bye,  dearest,"  I  whispered. 

"  It  is  very  hard,"  she  cried ;  and  then  forced  up  a 
laugh.  "  Not  good-bye,  auf  Wiedersehen,  Stanley," 
and  she  threw  me  a  kiss  and  was  gone. 

"  Stand  by  the  window,  Sir  Stanley,  if  you  will, 
please,  and  appear  to  be  talking  to  some  one,  while  I 
get  them  out.     There  may  be  some  one  watching." 

And  thus,  after  Celia  had  left  me,  I  had  to  stand 
mumming  at  the  window  in  make-believe,  while  my 
heart  was  torn  by  anxiety  and  the  pain  of  parting. 
But,  after  all,  that  is  only  life  in  miniature. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH 

Stein  was  a  born  stage  manager  lost  to  the  profes- 
sion.    Even  details  did  not  escape  him. 

He  came  hurrying  back  to  me  after  I  had  been  car- 
rying on  my  dumb  show  to  an  imaginary  audience  for 
some  minutes,  and  had  a  fresh  idea.  He  had  seen  his 
wife  and  Celia  leave  the  house  safely  and  his  new  idea 
was  a  sensational  exit  for  me. 

"  I  want  you  to  leave  the  house  hurriedly  with  some 
signs  of  excitement  as  if  you  had  forgotten  something 
very  important.  Walk  half  the  length  of  the  street 
then  clap  your  hand  to  your  pocket,  look  about  you 
and  come  rushing  back  ;  and  then  dart  off  quicker  than 
ever." 

"  I  don't  quite  see  the " 

"  We'll  put  Grobler's  men  off  the  scent,  if  they  are 
watching,"  he  interposed,  "  I  want  you  to  make  them 
think  something  important  takes  you  away  from  the 
house  and  that  you're  coming  back."  He  was  very 
much  in  earnest,  but  I  had  had  enough  of  the  mum- 
ming and  told  him  I  would  rather  he  took  up  that  role  ; 
that  I  would  stay  where  I  was  so  long  as  he  pleased, 
and  would  then  prefer  to  make  a  less  picturesque  exit. 
He  was  disappointed  in  me  I  think ;  but  did  not  quite 
appreciate  how  very  anxious  my  doubts  on  Celia's 
account  made  me. 

I  stayed  while  he  told  me  more  in  detail  the  arrange- 

289 


290  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

ments  for  Celia's  escape — that  she  was  to  leave  the 
town  by  a  conveyance  that  was  half  carrier's  cart  an  J 
half  omnibus,  and  would  take  the  train  from  a  station 
some  miles  out,  and  would  make  for  Meeren  a  large 
town  some  twenty  miles  on  the  other  side  of  the  Saxe- 
Lippe  frontier.  From  Meeren  the  telegram  would  be 
sent  to  London. 

The  picture  of  Celia  riding  with  a  lot  of  peasants  in 
such  a  conveyance  was  not  fascinating,  and  I  thought 
a  little  more  train  and  a  good  deal  less  carrier's  cart 
would  have  been  an  improvement :  but  the  thing  was 
done,  and  Stein  was  so  proud  of  his  astuteness  that  I 
kept  my  criticism  to  myself  and  contented  myself  with 
thanking  him  for  his  really  invaluable  help. 

I  was  not  a  little  curious  as  to  the  probable  develop- 
ments of  the  plan  in  regard  to  myself,  and  when  I  left 
Stein's  and  went  back  to  my  hotel,  I  kept  a  sharp  eye 
for  signs  of  any  change. 

I  noticed  only  one  thing.  When  I  reached  my  hotel 
the  great  Grobler  for  whose  astuteness  I  had  now  a 
much  deeper  respect,  was  sitting  at  the  same  table 
where  I  had  seen  him  on  the  previous  night  ;  but  al- 
though I  passed  quite  close  to  him  he  did  not  appear 
to  see  me.  As  I  was  now  not  at  all  disinclined  to  be 
seen,  and  purposely  stopped  close  to  his  table,  this  sur- 
prised me.  Either  his  shrewdness  had  been  a  great 
deal  exaggerated,  or  he  had  some  further  design  in 
taking  no  notice  of  me. 

The  hotel  proprietor's  manner  was  a  little  strange 
when  I  asked  for  him  and  said  I  was  leaving  that  even- 
ing and  wished  my  bill  made  out. 

"  Mr.— Mr.  Blyth,  I  think  ?  "  he  said,  insinuatingly. 

"  Yes,  Blyth  ;  "  and  I  spelt  it. 


THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH      29r 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,"  he  returned  with  need- 
lessly profuse  gratitude  and  a  queer  sharp  look  that 
amused  me.  I  went  up  to  my  room  then  and  made  a 
little  discovery.  In  my  hurry  in  the  morning  I  had 
left  a  handkerchief  unpacked,  and  it  was  now  laid  on 
one  of  my  bags  with  the  mark  of  my  name  in  full, 
"  Meredith,"  left  in  open  view. 

I  could  afford  to  laugh  at  this  now,  but  it  might  have 
been  a  serious  matter  enough  if  Celiahad  not  been  safe. 
I  thrust  it  into  the  bag,  understanding  the  possible  ex- 
planation of  the  landlord's  queer  look. 

I  went  out  then  resolved  to  show  myself  openly  in 
the  streets  of  Crudenstadt  and  give  my  friend  Grobler 
the  opportunity  of  making  his  public  arrest  :  and  I 
found  what  a  vastly  different  matter  an  arrest  is  accord- 
ing to  the  point  of  view  from  which  it  is  regarded.  An 
hour  or  two  before,  I  had  been  on  tenterhooks  of  anx- 
ious suspense,  seeing  an  enemy  in  every  man  who  looked 
at  me  ;  whereas  now  I  was  positively  anxious  to  be 
stopped,  questioned,  and  carried  off  to  the  minister. 
The  sooner  I  was  arrested,  the  sooner  I  should  be  out 
of  Crudenstadt. 

But  nothing  occurred,  and  I  walked  about  in  the 
most  conspicuous  and  public  parts  of  the  city  until  it 
was  time  to  go  to  my  sister's  for  dinner.  Still  nothing 
occurred  ;  and  at  last  even  this  began  to  get  on  my 
nerves.  It  must  portend  something  untoward,  I 
thought,  the  surface  was  so  smooth  that  devilment 
must  be  at  work  below  ;  and  I  was  disposed  to  fret  and 
worry  because  no  one  took  any  hostile  notice  of  me. 

At  my  sister's  house  I  found  some  satisfaction,  how- 
ever. Her  husband  was  profusely  astonished  to  see  me  ; 
and  his  effort  at  dissimulation  was  no  more  successful 


292  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

than  his  attempt  at  simulation  had  been  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

"  This  is  good  indeed,  Sir  Stanley,  very  good,"  was 
all  he  could  say. 

"  I  accepted  your  invitation,  my  dear  fellow,  what 
else  could  I  do  but  come  and  dine  therefore  ?  "  I  re- 
plied, quietly. 

"  Of  course,  yes,  of  course.  We  expected  you,  nat- 
urally." 

"  I  can  see  that,"  I  said,  drily. 

"  You  are  making  a  stay  then  in  Crudenstadt  ?  " 

"  No,  I  am  going  to  London  to-night."  What  a  lux- 
ury it  was  to  be  able  to  tell  the  truth  once  more  with- 
out fear  of  complications. 

"  To  London !  Oh  yes,  of  course,  you  would  go 
there ; "  which  meant  in  plainer  terms  that  he  did  not 
believe  me.  Alice  came  in  at  that  moment,  and  the 
truth  of  his  protestation  about  having  expected  me  was 
soon  apparent. 

"  Why,  Stanley,  you're  the  last  person  on  earth  we 
expected  to  see.  We  never  dreamt  for  a  moment  you 
were  coming." 

"  So  the  Major  implied — in  a  way,"  I  laughed  and 
quite  enjoyed  his  blush  of  annoyance  and  confusion. 
"  Tell  me  candidly,"  1  said  to  him  pointedly,  "  where 
did  you  think  I  was  ?     Locked  up  ?  " 

11 1  don't  know  anything  about  it,"  he  answered  most 
ungraciously.     His  temper  was  very  short. 

"  If  it  weren't  ridiculous,  one  could  almost  think  I 
had  hit  the  bull's  eye  and  that  you  had  had  a  hand  in 
it,"  I  answered.  "  Did  you  meet  that  man  about  that 
horse,  by  the  way,  at  the  Rheinhof  ? "  Alice's  face 
clouded,  and  she  threw  me  a  look  of  warning. 


THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH      293 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean."  His  tone  was  more 
surly  than  before. 

"  Oh  yes,  you  must.  It  is  one  of  Grobler's  horses 
you  are  after  ?  I  suppose  you  arranged  it,  when  he 
called  last  night.  I  thought  perhaps  that  having  set- 
tled terms  over  night  you  were  to  call  at  the  hotel  this 
morning  to  see  the  horse — just  for  formal  purposes  of 
identification  ;  "  and  I  looked  at  him  meaningly.  I 
was  enjoying  the  scene,  but  he  had  lost  his  temper  com- 
pletely and  at  my  last  thrust  he  bit  his  lip  and  being 
very  dull  of  sense  could  only  growl  out : 

"  I  don't  understand  you  at  all." 

"  Grobler  of  the  police,  I  mean,"  I  said  airily.  "  He 
came  to  see  you  last  night,  you  were  with  him  again 
this  morning  before  you  came  to  my  hotel,  and  after- 
wards also ;  you  came,  you  said,  about  a  horse ;  and  I 
took  it  for  granted  that  the  transaction  which  brought 
you  to  me  was  connected  with  Grobler.  Surely  I  wasn't 
wrong.  Horses,  among  other  things,  are  to  be  found 
at  hotels.  What  was  the  name  of  the  horse  you  were 
after?     Blyth  ?  " 

"  Are  you  trying  to  poke  your  fun  at  me?  "  he  stut- 
tered furiously. 

"  My  good  fellow,  certainly  not.  Fun's  the  last  name 
I  should  give  to  any  horsey  transaction — of  that  kind," 
and  I  smiled  very  drily,  as  I  added :  "  Only  as  I  am  a 
pretty  good  judge  of  horseflesh — that  kind  of  horse- 
flesh you  know — I  think  you  should  have  been  candid 
with  me  and  told  me  the  whole  transaction."  With 
that  I  turned  to  Alice  :  "  What  a  glorious  day  it's  been, 
and  how  the  poor  devils  under  arrest  must  lament  their 
imprisonment  in  such  weather.  But  my  brother-in- 
law  would  hear  no  more  and  bolted  out  of  the  room 


294  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

with  an  explosion  of  German  oaths  of  the  most  florid 
character. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean,  Stanley  ?  "  cried  Alice  anx- 
iously. 

"  Apparently  that  the  Major  has  not  come  out  of 
that  horse  transaction  of  his  with  quite  the  satisfaction 
he  anticipated,  but  you  must  get  the  details  from  him. 
It  means  also,  I  think,  that  I'd  better  dine  at  my  hotel 
after  all.  I'm  not  good  for  the  Major's  digestion  ;  "  and 
though  she  pressed  me,  I  would  not  discuss  the  matter 
further.  I  told  her  of  my  intention  to  leave  Cruden- 
stadt  that  evening  and  bade  her  good-bye. 

A  glance  at  my  watch  as  I  walked  back  to  my  hotel 
raised  my  spirits.  Celia  must  be  well  across  the  front- 
ier and  already  approaching  Meeren,  and  I  sat  down 
to  my  dinner  with  an  excellent  appetite. 

Matters  had  after  all  gone  better  than  could  have 
been  anticipated,  and  I  reckoned  that  if  I  were  allowed 
to  leave  Crudenstadt  without  interference  that  evening, 
I  could  easily  make  my  way  to  Meeren  and  to  Celia  by 
the  following  morning.  I  was  half  disposed  to  regret, 
indeed,  that  we  had  planned  to  wire  for  my  aunt  to 
come  out  and  meet  her.  If  I  got  away,  there  would 
be  no  need  for  any  such  steps  ;  and  I  was  considering 
the  advisability  of  sending  a  telegram  on  my  own  ac- 
count to  stop  her,  when  the  move  for  which  I  had 
been  waiting  all  day  was  opened  against  me. 

The  redoubtable  Grobler  was  ushered  in  by  a  waiter, 
and  came  across  to  my  table. 

"  Permit  me  to  take  a  chair  here,"  he  said,  with  a 
very  suave  bow.     "  I  wish  to  have  a  word  with  you." 

"  Certainly,  I  am  quite  at  your  service.  Will  you 
join  me  in  a  glass  of  champagne?     Herr  Grobler,  I 


THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH     295 

think."  If  he.could  be  polite,  so  could  I.  I  had  beaten 
him  so  completely  that  I  should  have  been  a  churl  not 
to  be  courteous.  His  glass  was  filled  and  we  clinked 
in  the  most  approved  Saxe-Lippe  fashion  and  drank 
each  other's  good  health. 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  at  Mempach," 
he  began. 

"  And  I  owe  you  an  apology  for  disappointing  you 
at  breakfast  there.  But  in  truth  I  found  it  necessary 
to  hurry  on  to  Crudenstadt.     Pray  pardon  me." 

"  You  were  then  Mr.  Stanhope,  I  think  you  said." 

"  You  scarcely  caught  the  name  right.  I  may  have 
mumbled  it  in  the  confusion  of  the  moment,  for  of 
course  I  didn't  know  your  friendly  intentions.  Stanley, 
I  should  have  said,  Stanley  Meredith." 

"  And  here  ?  " 

"  Ah,  this  was  a  formality  necessary  to  the  occasion. 
We  English  often  find  our  titles  embarrassing  and 
travel  incognito.  A  very  thin  incognito,  of  course,  for 
even  our  linen  generally  bears  our  full  name.  But 
these  little  private  affairs  are  not  serious.  For  all  of- 
ficial purposes,  of  course,  and  to  all  high  officials  like 
yourself,  when  we  know  who  you  are,  we  make  our- 
selves quite  known.  I  am  Sir  Stanley  Meredith."  He 
laughed  at  my  airily  given  explanation. 

"  Young  ladies  will  produce  more  serious  conse- 
quences and  stranger  changes  than  that,"  he  said.  "  But 
as  a  matter  of  fact  I  was  looking  for  you  in  your  real 
character  when  I  met  you  at  Mempach." 

"  What  a  thousand  pities  you  did  not  say  so !  "  I 
exclaimed. 

"  I  had  a  message  for  you  and  was  anxious  to  deliver 

it." 


2g6  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Better  late  than  never,  after  all.    Can«I  hear  it  now." 

"  Well,  not  exactly,  but  I  have  something  more 
urgent  than  a  message  now.  I  have  a  request,  some- 
what urgently  worded,  that  you  accompany  me  to  the 
Minister,  General  von  Eckerstein." 

"  I  shall  be  delighted.  He  is  a  most  charming  man. 
May  1  fill  your  glass  again  ?  No  ?  Well,  I  have  finished 
dinner,  shall  we  go  at  once  ?  "  and  I  rose.  "  By  the 
way,  shall  I  tell  them  here  what  time  to  expect  my 
return?"  I  asked,  as  if  indifferently. 

"  It  might  be  superfluous,"  he  answered,  with  a 
glance  and  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders  ;  and  with  this 
vague  insinuation  we  left.  He  had  a  carriage  at  the 
door  and  in  a  few  minutes,  during  which  we  discussed 
such  matters  as  the  weather,  we  were  over  at  the  Min- 
ister's. I  was  absolutely  confident  of  course.  I  had 
done  nothing  except  resort  to  an  incognito  and  fool  my 
companions  that  morning  at  Mempach,  and  all  that 
could  happen  would  be  my  expulsion  from  the  Duchy. 

The  old  Minister  had  obviously  been  waiting  for  me. 
I  was  shown  in  at  once  while  Grobler  waited  in  another 
room. 

"  You  have  given  me  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  Sir 
Stanley,"  began  the  General. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that,  your  Excellency,  but  I  fear  it 
was  unavoidable." 

"You  don't  appear  to  regret  it,  I  think,  judging  by 
your  voice.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  give  me  an 
account  of  your  actions  during  the  past  two  or  three 
days — since  I  saw  you,  in  fact." 

"  I  think  your  Excellency's  agents  have  somewhat 
anticipated  any  such  recital.  Wouldn't  it  be  a  little 
superfluous  ?  "     It  was  a  somewhat  bold  line  to  take, 


THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH     297 

and  he  frowned  and  raised  his  eyebrows,  heavy,  hang- 
ing, irregular  brows  they  were,  capable  of  expressing 
much. 

"  You  would  rather  not  ?  " 

"  I  would  rather  write  such  a  statement.  I  could 
marshall  the  facts  and  apportion  the  details  more  ac- 
curately. I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  send  such  a  state- 
ment." 

"  Send  ?  "  and  he  shot  a  look  at  me. 

"  Send — from  any  place  to  which  you  may  decide 
for  me  to  go."  For  just  a  second  there  was  a  slight 
relaxation  of  the  tight  thin  lips. 

"  Would  you  do  this  from  England  ?  It  is  very  im- 
portant." I  started  and  then  tried  all  I  could  to  keep 
the  satisfaction  out  of  my  face. 

"  Your  Excellency  is  not  going  to  carry  out  your 
former  threat  of  expulsion  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  desirable  that  you  should  leave,  but  not 
perhaps  absolutely  essential.  I  don't  propose  to  deal 
at  all  harshly  with  you.  I  should  like  you  to  think  I 
am  rather  sorry  for  you  than  otherwise.  I  am  not 
bitter.     What  are  your  plans  ?  " 

"  Before  coming  to  you  now,  I  had  decided  to  return 

to  England,  to  London,  to-night,  but "  I  stopped  and 

with  a  gesture  left  him  to  understand  I  was  at  his  be- 
stowal. 

"  You  think  I  may  interfere  with  your  plans  ?  " 

"  I've  known  such  things  happen,"  said  I. 
He  paused  and  seemed  to  be  thinking  very  busily. 

"  I  don't  think  I  need  interfere  with  your  arrange- 
ments. I  suppose  you  have  your  reasons  for  this 
change.  You  seem  now  almost  as  ready  to  go  away 
as  formerly  you  were  eager  to  stay.     Why  is  that  ?  " 


298  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  The  urgency  of  my  private  affairs ;  "  I  answered 
promptly. 

"  Have  you  had  any  training  in  the  diplomatic  serv- 
ice, Sir  Stanley  ?  "  he  asked,  as  gravely  as  if  it  were  a 
crucial  point  in  the  issue. 

"  Regrettably  no  ;  or  my  answers  might  not  be  so 
plain,  simple,  and  direct."  I  gave  the  answer  in  a  tone 
quite  as  sober  as  his  own  ;  and  his  eyes  seemed  to  smile 
at  it,  although  his  features  were  as  placid  as  before. 

"  I  don't  think  I  need  detain  you  any  longer  then. 
You  will  pledge  me  your  word,  that  will  be  quite  suf- 
ficient, that  you  will  leave  Crudenstadt  to-night,  go 
straight  out  of  the  Duchy,  and  across  the  frontier  for, 
say,  a  twelvemonth." 

I  was  about  to  give  the  pledge  congratulating  my- 
self hugely  upon  the  course  matters  had  taken,  when 
some  instinctive  prompting  of  caution  made  me  pause. 
I  think  it  was  no  more  than  a  glance  of  his  keen  eyes 
and  a  sharpening  of  his  voice  suggestive  of  eagerness  ; 
the  recollection  of  my  sister's  phrase — that  the  General 
always  got  his  Avay — came  to  me. 

"  Is  such  a  pledge  necessary,  your  Excellency?  It 
is  not  exactly  a  pleasant  feeling  to  be  treated  as  though 
one  had  committed  some  heinous  offence  requiring  one 
to  be  warned  off  a  certain  country." 

"  Don't  take  it  too  seriously,  Sir  Stanley.  I  don't 
suggest  it  in  any  offensive  sense.  Not  for  a  moment. 
But  you  have  given  us  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  and  if  I 
look  on  you  as  a  sort  of  formidable  firebrand,  it's  rather 
a  compliment  to  your  energy  and  influence." 

"  Such  a  compliment  is  of  course  very  flattering," 
said  I,  blandly,  "  and  you  will  therefore  be  glad  that  in 
any  case  I  am  leaving  to-night  ;  "    I  liked  the  matter 


THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH     299 

less  the  more  he  pressed  it.  "  In  the  ordinary  course 
of  things  I  shall  not  return.  I  would  rather  leave 
it  there." 

"  Isn't  it  a  simpler  matter  for  you  to  give  me  your 
word  than  that  we  should  have  to  instruct  our  agents 
to  watch  for  you  and  prevent  your  return  and  to  start 
all  the  worries  incidental  to  making  it  an  official  affair  ? 
Surely7,  it  is  not  much  to  ask,  Sir  Stanley." 

"  It  is  more  than  I  can  see  my  way  to  grant,  your 
Excellency."  I  spoke  firmly,  for  I  had  now  made  up 
my  mind.  He  was  vexed  at  the  refusal,  and  sat  think- 
ing some  moments. 

"  I  think  you  are  a  little  unreasonable  ;  but  I  don't 
know  that  your  movements  are  now  of  so  much  im- 
portance that  I  need  press  the  point.  At  any  rate 
you  are  leaving  to-night  ?  "  and  he  looked  for  my 
assent. 

"  Yes,  I  told  you  that  was  my  intention."  The  ex- 
pression in  his  eyes  changed  and  he  regarded  me  very 
intently,  and  then  speaking  with  greater  deliberation 
than  ever,  said : 

"  That  '  was  '  has  a  doubtful  sound  in  my  ear.  I  be- 
gin to  be  half  afraid  we  are  going  to  cross  swords 
again,  Sir  Stanley,  and  I  dislike  nothing  more  than 
fighting  a  once-defeated  antagonist.  Why  not  accept 
defeat,  give  me  the  promise  I  ask,  and  leave  Cruden- 
stadt  ?  Believe  me,  I  have  none  but  friendly  feelings 
for  you." 

"  I  .am  leaving  to-night,"  I  repeated,  but  his  change 
of  manner  chilled  me. 

"  For  London  direct  ?  You  will  not  travel  by — 
Meeren  ?  " 

"  I  shall  travel  by  the  most  convenient  route.     Why 


300  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

Meeren  ?  "  I  tried  to  ask  the  question  lightly,  but  the 
words  almost  stuck  in  my  throat. 

"  Because  of  a  telegram  that  was  to  have  been  sent 
from  there,  but  was  not ;  "  and  he  laid  before  me  the 
draft  of  the  telegram  I  had  handed  to  Celia. 

I  stared  at  it  in  dumb  dismay.  Try  as  I  would,  the 
shock  of  failure,  the  ruin  of  my  hopes,  the  absolute 
overthrow  of  my  plans,  completely  undid  me.  From 
the  lofty  pinnacle  of  victorious  confidence,  I  fell  in  a 
second  to  the  lowest  depths  of  humiliated  defeat ;  and 
the  fall  left  me  stunned  beyond  even  the  power  of  pro- 
test. I  know  that  I  changed  colour  and  could  feel 
myself  trembling. 

My  antagonist  was  more  merciful  than  I  had  ex- 
pected. While  I  was  lying  amid  the  ruins  of  cherished 
desires  and  suffering  the  pangs  inseparable  from  such  a 
blow,  he  turned  to  his  table  and  busied  himself  with 
some  papers,  thus  giving  me  time  to  collect  my  self- 
possession. 

It  was  the  hardest  stroke  I  had  ever  endured,  and 
perhaps  it  was  unmanly  to  show  such  weakness  and  not 
to  be  able  to  face  it  with  a  smile  and  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders ;  but  I  could  not ;  and  it  must  have  been  a 
minute  or  two — it  seemed  an  hour  to  me — before  I 
could  rally  my  wits. 

"  This  has  hit  you  very  hard,  Sir  Stanley,"  said  the 
old  man,  "  and  I  am  honestly  sorry  to  have  had  to 
cause  you  this  pain.  I  had  intended  to  let  you  leave 
Crudenstadt  in  ignorance  of  it,  and  send  the  news  after 
you.  But  it  seemed  doubtful  whether  you  were  really 
going,  and  hence  this  " — and  he  pointed  to  the  paper. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  has  happened?" 

"  Yes,   we  got   wind   of   the   fact   that   the  young 


THE  NET  PROVES  ITS  STRENGTH     301 

Duchess  was  again  with  you,  and  you  were  closely 
watched,  with  the  result  that  we  traced  her  to  the 
house  of  the  Stein  family,  and  the  rest  was  easy.  That 
telegram  was  found  on  the  woman  with  the  young 
Duchess." 

"  Where  is  Celia  now?" 

"  I  can  only  answer  that  she  is  in  quite  safe  keeping." 
"And  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with  me  ?  " 
"  I  intend  nothing.  I  should  wish  you  to  be  prudent 
enough  to  leave  Crudenstadt  and  not  return.  You  can 
do  no  good  by  remaining,  and  may  cause  the  young 
Duchess  infinite  pain.  We  know  that  you  have  done 
the  Duke  a  great  service  by  tracing  and  rescuing  her 
from  the  younger  von  Kronheim  ;  and  although  your 
motive  was  no  doubt  to  serve  yourself  rather  than  the 
Duke,  we  are  not  indisposed  to  treat  you  with  every 
consideration.  Now  that  the  young  Duchess  is  with 
us,  your  personal  movements  are  not  of  such  impor- 
tance, and  we  shall  not  attempt  to  interfere  with  your 
freedom  of  action — unless,  of  course,  you  make  it 
necessary.  But  I  would  appeal  to  your  honour,  to 
your  chivalry,  to  your — regard  for  the  young  Duchess 
herself,  to  save  her  and  us  from  the  embarrassment  of 
your  continued  presence." 

"  I  am  free  to  leave  you  now,"  I  asked,  rising.  I 
spoke  bluntly,  ungraciously,  for  the  blow  was  still 
unbearable. 

"  Certainly,  and  I  hope  you  will  return  to  say  you 
will  take  my  advice."  He  held  out  his  hand  and  I 
hurried  away. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

SCHWARTZ   BRINGS   STRANGE   NEWS 

THE  rest  of  that  day  I  passed  in  a  state  of  acute  de- 
pression, aggravated  with  a  stinging  sense  of  humil- 
iation at  my  failure  and  intense  concern  for  Celia ;  but 
a  night's  rest  did  something  to  restore  the  balance  of 
my  mind  and  to  arrange  the  chief  facts  of  the  position 
with  some  regard  to  perspective. 

That  is  to  say,  I  ceased  to  rail  against  the  fates,  my 
own  blindness,  Grobler's  acumen,  which  I  now  respect- 
fully appreciated — and  the  iniquitous  tyranny  of  the 
authorities  of  Saxe-Lippe ;  and  instead  of  that  began 
once  more  to  speculate  whether  and  how  I  could,  after 
all,  outwit  them  and  get  Celia  out  of  their  hands. 

For  one  thing,  I  threw  off  all  attempts  at  disguise. 
I  removed  to  the  best  hotel  and  took  rooms  in  my  own 
name  for  myself  and  Wilson,  who  rejoined  me  that 
evening.  I  saw  Stein,  heard  from  him  the  story  of 
what  had  occurred.  He  told  me  that  he  had  received 
a  very  sharp  reprimand  for  his  share  in  the  work,  and 
that,  although  his  wife  had  been  released  from  custody, 
she  had  been  thoroughly  frightened  by  threats  of  seri- 
ous punishment  for  the  attempted  abduction  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  reigning  family. 

The  plucky  little  man  himself  was  as  full  of  fight  as 
ever ;  but  I  knew  he  would  be  a  marked  man  in  the 
future,  and  thus  of  no  use  to  me  in  any  further  enter- 
prise, so  I  thanked  him  for  all  he  had  done,  and  com- 
pensated him  liberally. 
302 


SCHWARTZ  BRINGS  STRANGE  NEWS    303 

"  We  made  two  mistakes,  Stein,"  I  said,  as  he  was 
leaving  me.  "  Both  were  very  slight  in  themselves, 
but  they  ruined  everything.  I  forgot  to  tell  Wilson  of 
the  change  of  name,  and  so  put  Grobler  on  the  move  ; 
and  you  reckoned  he  did  not  know  there  was  a  second 
exit  from  your  house.  As  you  said  yesterday — trifles 
are  everything." 

On  the  day  following  my  interview  with  the  Minister, 
I  made  a  long  solitary  excursion  in  the  mountains  that 
lay  to  the  West  of  Crudenstadt,  and  spent  the  whole 
day  in  none  too  cheerful  meditation.  I  thought  long 
and  very  earnestly  over  General  von  Eckerstein's  ap- 
peal to  me — to  give  up  Celia — and,  of  course,  found 
many  reasons  for  resolving  to  do  precisely  the  oppo- 
site, and  to  persevere  in  my  quest  of  her  until  she 
herself  called  a  halt. 

I  would  fight  openly,  I  decided  ;  openly  so  far  as  to 
leave  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  my  intentions  ;  and  when 
I  got  back  to  Crudenstadt  at  night,  I  wrote  a  short  note 
to  the  Minister  telling  him  that  I  could  not  comply 
with  his  wishes,  and  that  I  should  remain  in  Cruden- 
stadt. 

"  One  thing,  and  one  thing  only,  will  cause  me  to 
alter  my  decision,"  I  concluded,  "and  that  is  the  re- 
quest from  my  cousin  herself." 

I  felt  better  after  I  had  written  and  despatched  the 
letter,  and  could  take  a  much  more  cheerful  view  of  the 
situation.  Celia  was  parted  from  me,  it  was  true — but 
she  was  not  in  the  hands  of  either  of  the  von  Kron- 
heims ;  she  was  in  no  personal  danger ;  I  had  un- 
bounded confidence  in  her  faith  ;  I  knew  her  heart 
would  not  change,  and  that  her  high  courage  would 
make  it  exceedingly  difficult   for  the  Duke   or  anyone 


304    .  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

else  to  coerce  her  into  a  marriage.  My  courage  must 
at  least  be  equal  to  hers,  and  we  would  fight  on.  Love, 
patience,  courage,  persistence,  and  time,  must  be  valu- 
able allies  in  such  a  contest  as  ours,  let  the  Court 
intrigue  be  what  it  might. 

On  the  second  day  I  reached  another  stage,  and 
began  to  consider  the  possibility  of  getting  an  inter- 
view with  Celia — so  strong  is  the  mental  resilience  of  a 
combination  of  love  and  youth.  I  did  not  know  where 
she  was,  of  course,  but  I  should  find  that  out  ;  and  I 
saw  that  my  best  course  would  be  to  maintain  an  abso- 
lutely correct  social  attitude,  to  make  as  many  friends 
among  the  Crudenstadt  notabilities  as  possible,  and 
then  push  my  inquiries  and  efforts.  I  went  to  my 
sister's  house,  therefore,  patched  up  a  peace  with  her 
husband,  announced  my  intention  of  remaining  some 
time  in  the  capital,  and  told  Alice  I  wished  to  know 
people. 

In  three  days  my  plans  were  beginning  to  get  into 
shape,  and  I  was  preparing  for  a  long  siege,  when  they 
were  once  more  changed,  and  the  thin  veneer  of  hope 
with  which  I  had  endeavoured  to  cover  over  the  solid 
substance  of  my  difficulties,  was  deepened  and  thick- 
ened once  again  into  the  glorious  confidence  of  assured 
success. 

The  cause  was  a  visit  from  Schwartz.  I  was  told  at 
my  hotel  that  some  one  was  waiting  to  see  me  who 
would  not  give  his  name.  I  told  them  to  let  Wilson 
see  him  ;  but  Wilson  was  out,  and  with  the  waiter  who 
came  back  to  tell  me  this  came  also  Schwartz. 

"  I  did  not  give  my  name,  Sir  Stanley,  for  fear  you- 
would  refuse  to  see  me,  and  I  must  see  you, 
sir." 


SCHWARTZ  BRINGS  STRANGE  NEWS    305 

"  You  run  a  perilous  risk  of  a  thrashing  by  pressing 
yourself  on  me  in  this  way,"  I  cried,  angrily,  when  the 
waiter  had  left  us.  "  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  you ; 
and  you'd  better  go  lest  the  temptation  to  punish  you 
passes  bounds.     You're  an  infernal  scoundrel !  " 

"  There's  a  plot,  sir,  and  you  ought  to  know  it,"  he 
said,  keeping  a  wary  eye  on  me  and  obviously  afraid 
for  his  skin. 

"  I've  had  more  than  enough  of  you  and  your  plot- 
tings,  and  want  nothing  more  to  do  with  you." 

"It's  about  Miss  Celia,  sir,  and  Miss  Katrine;  and 
the  reason  why  you  were  allowed  to  bring  Miss  Celia 
away."  I  couldn't  help  being  interested  in  this,  but 
my  contempt  for  the  fellow  was  so  intense  I  could 
scarcely  look  at  him  and  keep  my  temper." 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  a  word  of  it,"  I  said.  "  Carry 
your  wares  to  some  other  market ;  I  don't  want  to  buy 
them  or  have  anything  more  to  do  with  a  rascal  who 
deceived  me  as  you  did."  He  stood  wringing  his 
hands  in  dismay. 

"  I'm  not  trying  to  sell  the  information,  Sir  Stanley. 
But  it  affects  Miss  Celia  so  closely  that  heaven  only 
knows  what  mischief  may  follow  if  something  isn't 
done.  Miss  Celia  isn't  the  Duke's  daughter  at  all,  Sir 
Stanley,"  he  said,  lowering  his  voice.  "  It's  Miss 
Katrine ;  and  the  Count  found  it  out  and  let  you  get  away 
with  Miss  Celia,  in  the  hope  you'd  be  able  to  carry  her 
out  of  the  Duchy.  Oh,  I  don't  know  what  I  ought  to 
do  !  "  And  Schwartz,  who  was  usually  very  reserved 
and  taciturn,  was  almost  as  agitated  and  disturbed  as 
an  hysterical  woman. 

"  Shake  your  wits  together,  man  !  "  I  cried,  sharply. 
"Is  this  true?     Do  you  know  what  you're  saying?'* 
20 


3o6  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

There  was  no  longer  any  thought  of  not  listening  to 
him,  I  was  wild  to  hear  every  word  he  had  to  say. 

"  May  I  sit  down,  Sir  Stanley  ?  "  He  was  shaking 
like  a  leaf. 

"  Yes,  of  course  you  can  ;  "  and  I  rang  for  a  waiter 
and  ordered  a  bottle  of  champagne  and  gave  Schwartz 
a  tumblerful.  Now,  just  tell  me  things  in  proper 
order,"  I  said,  when  I  saw  the  wine  had  pulled  him 
together. 

"  It's  all  perfectly  true,  Sir  Stanley.  I  saw  some- 
thing was  in  the  wind  some  days  ago,  but  only  knew 
the  truth  yesterday,  and  got  away  as  soon  as  I  could 
to  find  you.  I've  been  shamefully  treated  because  I 
interfered  to  prevent  your  bringing  Miss  Celia  away ; 
and  I'm  ill  with  it.     I'm  too  old  to  stand  it  now." 

"  Well,  well ;  tell  me  the  facts,"  said   I,  for  he  was 
beginning  to  tremble  again.     He  made  a  big  effort 
and  then  gave  me  an  account  of  what  had  occurred. 
And  a  wild  and  singular  story  it  was. 

An  old  woman  named  Bade,  who  was  in  the  Baroness 
Borgen's  service,  had  made  a  confession  to  the  effect 
that  Katrine  and  not  Celia  was  the  daughter  of  the 
Duchess  Marie.  According  to  Schwartz,  the  woman 
had  been  in  the  service  of  the  Duchess  Marie  at  the 
time  Celia  was  born,  and  the  child  was  entrusted  to 
her  care.  Her  sister  had  been  in  the  Baroness  Borgen's 
service ;  and,  when  all  the  Crudenstadt  Court  was  ring- 
ing with  the  scandal  about  the  Duchess  and  my  uncle, 
these  two  women  had  conceived  the  wild  idea  of  saving 
the  Duchess's  child  from  the  fate  which,  in  the  com- 
mon belief  awaited  her,  by  changing  the  two  children. 
An  opportunity  had  been  found  without  difficulty. 
The  two  babies  were  sufficiently  alike  in  colouring  to 


SCHWARTZ  BRINGS  STRANGE  NEWS    307 

make  the  exchange  possible,  and  there  was,  in  fact,  no 
one  to  discover  or  even  suspect  the  change  that  had 
been  made. 

Soon  after  that  Bade  had  found  means  to  get  taken 
into  the  Baroness's  service,  so  that  she  might  have 
charge  of  the  child  and  watch  over  her.  She  had  re- 
mained with  her  ever  since,  keeping  her  extraordinary 
secret,  and  believing  that  she  had  saved  the  child's  life; 
for,  when  my  uncle  had  brought  away  the  other  child  so 
mysteriously,  all  Crudenstadt  believed  that  in  his  jealous 
madness  the  Duke  had  caused  her  to  be  put  to  death. 

That  belief  had  sealed  the  women's  lips,  partly  from  , 
fear  that  they  would  be  desperately  punished  if  the 
fraud  were  found  out,  and  partly  because  of  their  con- 
viction that,  if  the  Duke  found  his  child  to  be  still 
living,  he  would  kill  her  as  they  believed  he  had  killed 
the  other. 

Thus  the  news  that  the  supposed  Celia  was  alive 
had  plunged  the  old  nurse  into  a  condition  of  the 
wildest  perplexity  and  embarrassment  until  she  had 
been  driven  to  make  the  confession.  Her  object  was 
no  friendliness  or  even  remorse  for  what  she  had  done. 
It  was  her  intense  devotion  to  Katrine,  and  the  fear 
that  if  she  kept  silence  any  longer,  Katrine  would  be 
deprived  of  her  rightful  position  and  her  place  be  taken 
by  another. 

"  Do  you  believe  this,  Schwartz  ?  "  I  asked  him,  at 
the  close. 

"  Count  von  Kronheim  has  sifted  it,  Sir  Stanley, 
and  declares  there  is  no  room  for  doubt.  The  old 
nurse,  Barle,  has  been  careful  to  get  together  as  many 
proofs  as  possible  of  the  truth  of  the  tale.  Her  sister 
has  been  found  and  admits  everything." 


308  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

The  story  staggered  me  with  its  wild,  sensational  ex- 
travagance. Could  it  possibly  be  true?  If  true,  with 
what  relentless  coincidence  had  Fate  worked  out  the 
lives  of  mother  and  daughter,  wrecking  each  in  the  mad 
maelstrom  of  love  passion.  Katrine's  frenzied  love 
for  von  Kronheim  was  a  grim  companion  picture  to 
the  fatal  love  which  had  broken  her  mother's  life  and 
destroyed  her  reason. 

And  how  pitilessly  had  their  own  ill  deeds  worked 
out  the  tangle  and  ruin  of  their  lives.  The  very 
man  whose  ambitious  brain  would  have  led  him  to  seek 
out  Katrine  from  all  the  world  as  his  wife  had  ruined 
her  and  threatened  to  cast  her  off  with  all  the  slights 
of  contemptuous  contumely. 

The  mother,  too,  in  the  blind,  egoistic,  selfish  craving 
to  restore  her  own  tarnished  honour,  had  connived  with 
this  heartless  rascal  to  plunge  her  own  daughter  deeper 
down  into  the  mire  of  dishonoured  neglect  and  dis- 
grace. It  was  indeed  a  tangled  skein  which  the 
wretched  old  crones  had  woven  for  the  undoing  of  the 
child  whom  they  had  meant  to  save. 

But  it  was  not  the  eccentric,  squalid  muddle  pro- 
duced by  the  attempt  to  trick  destiny  away  from  its 
appointed  track  that  fascinated  me.  If  the  tale  were 
true,  the  barriers  that  stood  between  Celia  and  myself 
were  swept  away  and  every  inducement  for  others  to 
keep  us  apart  had  gone  with  them. 

"  Why  have  you  come  to  me,  Schwartz  ?  "  I  asked 
him  after  a  long  pause,  '  for  I  couldn't  understand  his 
object. 

"  Because  of  the  Count's  new  scheme,  sir." 

"  New  scheme  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     What  he  is  aiming  to  do  is  to  pass  off 


SCHWARTZ  BRINGS  STRANGE  NEWS    309 

Miss  Katrine  for  Miss  Celia,  marry  her  and  declare 
that  she  was  the  child  entrusted  to  Sir  Henry  and  that 
Miss  Celia  has  always  been  with  the  Baroness,  her 
mother." 

This  was  a  novel  development,  indeed.  I  had  not 
thought  of  Celia  as  this  blase  adventuress's  daughter  ; 
and  the  notion  was  peculiarly  distasteful. 

"  He  daren't  do  that,  of  course.  He  can't.  It's 
absurd." 

"  What  he  daren't  try,  no  one  can  say,  Sir  Stanley, 
and  what  he  can't  do  is  not  much  easier  to  define. 
But  I  don't  believe  that  Sir  Henry  would  have  allowed 
such  a  thing  for  a  moment,  even  for  the  Duchess 
Marie's  sake ;  and  so  I  came  to  you." 

"  Miss  Celia  is  already  in  the  Duke's  hands." 

"  The  Count  does  not  suspect  that.  He  thinks  that 
she  is  back  in  London,  and  I  thought  so  too,  until  I 
heard  at  Frau  von  Haussmann's  that  you  were  still 
here,  sir.  He  meant  to  do  this  behind  your  back,  Sir 
Stanley." 

"  We  will  go  at  once  and  prepare  the  way  for  him 
then,"  said  I,  promptly,  "  and  you  shall  tell  the  story 
as  you  have  told  it  to  me,  to  the  Duke's  right  hand, 
General  von  Eckerstein." 

We  drove  to  the  Minister's  house,  but  when  I  sent 
in  my  name  he  declined  at  first  to  see  me.  Not  accept- 
ing the  rebuff  I  sent  a  message  that  my  business  was 
very  urgent ;  but  this  had  no  more  effect,  and  his  sec- 
retary asked  me  politely  to  put  my  business  in  writing, 
or  to  tell  it  to  him. 

I  thought  a  moment  and  then  wrote  :  "  I  am  pre- 
pared to  give  up  my  attempt  to  marry  the  Duke's 
daughter  ;  "  and  sent  that   in   under  seal.     It  had  the 


310  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

necessary  effect.  We  were  admitted  and  the  General 
received  me  with  effusive  cordiality,  but  stared  hard  at 
Schwartz. 

"  I  am  delighted  to  get  your  message,  Sir  Stanley. 
Believe  me,  you  have  decided  as  was  only  possible  for 
a  man  of  honour." 

"  There  is  possibly  a  misunderstanding,"  I  answered, 
quietly ;  "  and  before  anything  else  is  said,  you  must 
hear  the  story  which  I  have  heard  within  the  last 
hour." 

"This  is  your  handwriting?"  and  he  held  out  the 
note. 

"  Certainly,  but  things  are  not  quite  what  they  seem. 
They  are  very  different,  indeed,  from  what  they  were 
when  we  last  met."  I  explained  who  Schwartz  was 
and  then  left  him  to  repeat  what  he  had  told  me. 

The  Minister  listened  to  the  long  recital  with  an  at- 
tention that  told  his  deep  interest,  only  interrupting  to 
put  a  question  when  any  point  was  not  quite  clear. 
He  made  some  notes  of  the  matter  and  at  the  end  put 
a  further  string  of  sharp,  searching  questions. 

"  This  is  an  old  servant  of  yours,  Sir  Stanley?"  he 
asked  me,  and  I  read  in  a  moment  his  suspicion. 

"  No.  He  was  my  uncle's  servant  for  many  years, 
entirely  in  his  confidence,  and  after  my  uncle's  death 
he  turned  against  me  and  took  the  side  of  the  Duchess 
Marie  in  the  matter  of  my  proposed  marriage.  He 
was  the  means  of  my  cousin  being  removed  from  my 
house.  From  then  until  now  he  has  been  against  me. 
The  story  has  come  upon  me  with  the  same  startling 
suddenness  as  upon  you.  I  beg  you  to  understand  that." 

His  face  did  not  lose  the  thoughtful,  impassive, 
judicial  look  it  had  worn  throughout,  and    I   had  no 


SCHWARTZ  BRINGS  STRANGE  NEWS    311 

indication  of  his  opinion  until  he  said  with  an  air  of 
decision. 

"  I  will  not  believe  a  word  of  it.  Not  a  word.  It 
comes  too  late  in  the  day  to  impose  upon  me.  It  is 
falsehood,  warp  and  web  alike." 

"  You  will  at  least  test  the  truth  of  it,"  I  said. 

**  It  has  no  truth  to  test,  sir,"  he  answered  sharply. 

"  You  suggest  that  it  is  some  kind  of  conspiracy, 
then  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  suggest  anything,  Sir  Stanley  ;  that  is  not 
my  business.  I  don't  care  where  the  tale  had  its 
origin,  or  who  dreamed  or  concocted  it.  I  don't  believe 
it,  and  don't  regard  it  as  worth  a  minute's  serious  con- 
sideration." 

"  You  will  at  least  tell  my  cousin  what  is  alleged.'' 

"  I  do  not  know  your  cousin,  Sir  Stanley.  But  if  you 
refer  to  the  young  Duchess  Celia,  I  shall  certainly  not 
disturb  her  peace  of  mind  by  repeating  any  such  fables." 

"You  will  not  find  others  so  readily  disposed  to  be 
silent,"  I  said  with  warmth,  for  his  attitude  both  sur- 
prised and  angered  me.  But  it  was  a  mistaken  move, 
since  it  showed  my  anxiety  and  made  me  pose  as  a  kind 
of  champion  of  the  truth  of  the  story. 

"  You  are  rather  trespassing  upon  my  indulgence, 
Sir  Stanley,  and  I  am  very  busy,"  he  answered  coldly. 

"  Celia  shall  hear  of  it  by  some  means.  I  will  take 
care  of  that,"  I  cried.  "  You  have  no  right  to  set 
yourself  up  as  the  sole  judge  in  a  matter  of  this  kind 
and  to  decide  without  even  investigating  a  single  fact." 

He  struck  his  table  bell  sharply. 

"  I  have  no  wish  or  intention  to  stop  and  wrangle 
with  you,  but  I  warn  your  Excellency  that  I  will  find 
some  higher  authority  to  whom  I  can  appeal." 


312  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  desires  his  carriage,"  he  said 
to  the  secretary  who  came  in.  u  I  bid  you  good  even- 
ing, Sir  Stanley.  You  will  probably  hear  from  me  ;" 
and  with  that  implied  menace  I  was  virtually  turned 
out  of  his  presence. 

But  I  was  very  confident  none  the  less  and  full  of 
fight.  I  had  plenty  of  ammunition  now  for  the  heav- 
iest guns  and  it  would  be  my  fault  if  I  did  not  use  them 
with  good  effect. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

CELIA  WRITES 

My  rebuff  at  the  hands  of  General  von  Eckerstein 
did  not  cause  me  any  very  serious  apprehension,  and  the 
one  point  that  did  affect  me  was  the  implied  threat 
that  he  would  make  me  leave  the  Duchy.  This  was 
what  he  meant,  of  course,  by  saying  I  should  probably 
hear  from  him.  But  even  on  that  issue  I  was  quite 
prepared  to  fight  and  to  offer  a  very  stubborn  resist- 
ance. 

That  he  should  have  peremptorily  refused  to  believe 
in  the  strange  story  which  Schwartz  had  brought  was 
perhaps  the  only  course  he  could  have  taken.  It  had 
surprised  me  at  first ;  but  on  reflection,  I  did  not  see 
how  else  he  could  have  acted.  Whether  he  did  actu- 
ally disbelieve  it  or  not,  was  another  matter ;  but  hav- 
ing regard  to  the  fact  that  it  spelt  disaster  to  his  set 
plans  in  regard  to  the  succession,  I  saw  his  necessity  to 
make  a  show  of  disbelief. 

I  felt  certain,  moreover,  that  despite  his  words  he 
would  be  compelled  to  investigate  it ;  and  as  investiga- 
tion would  necessarily  take  some  little  time,  I  must 
control  my  impatience  so  far  as  possible. 

True  or  false,  however,  Celia  and  I  must  regard  the 
story  as  true,  and  I  must  find  means  to  let  her  know 
all  about  it,  and  must  further  take  action  of  some  kind 
from  my  side. 

There  were  three  possible  courses  for  me  to  adopt. 

3*3 


314  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

One  was  to  attempt  to  take  proceedings  as  Celia's 
guardian  to  regain  possession  of  my  ward ;  the  second 
would  be  to  appeal  from  the  Minister's  decision  to  the 
authorities  in  Berlin,  even  to  the  Emperor  himself; 
and  the  third  was  to  start  a  campaign  of  publicity  in 
the  press,  beginning  with  the  English  papers. 

The  position  of  things  in  regard  to  the  succession 
was  so  delicate  and  awkward  that  a  vigorous  blast  of 
publicity  would,  I  believed,  almost  certainly  blow  to  the 
four  winds  the  house  of  cards  scheme  which  had  been 
constructed  over  Celia's  claims.  But  there  was  one  most 
powerful  objection  to  such  a  course — consideration  for 
Celia  herself.  To  have  her  name  placarded  all  over 
Europe  and  her  romantic  history,  with  the  story  of 
the  Duchess's  madness  and  shame,  mumbled  and 
mouthed  by  all  the  gossipping  harpies  of  a  dozen 
countries  was  a  prospect  that  appalled  me.  It  might 
or  might  not  scatter  this  Saxe-Lippe  scheme,  but  it 
would  make  Celia  the  object  of  an  intolerable  blaze  of 
the  fierce  light  of  scandal. 

I  could  use  the  threat,  however,  even  if  I  could  never 
make  good  my  words,  and  use  it  I  would  for  all  it  was 
worth ;  and  before  I  had  taken  any  steps  I  received 
news  which  showed  me  that  such  a  threat  would  have 
far  greater  effect  than  I  had  at  first  anticipated. 

This  was  from  no  other  source  than  from  Celia  her- 
self; for  to  my  intense  delight  a  packet  from  her 
reached  me  through  the  agency  of  my  sister.  It  was 
a  very  long  letter — too  long  for  me  to  give  in  full — for 
she  was  keeping  a  strict  record  of  all  events ;  and  she 
sent  it  me  just  as  it  had  been  Avritten  from  time  to 
time,  with  certain  additions  for  my  eyes  alone.  She 
told   me  just   how  she  and  Frau  Stein  had  been  in- 


CELIA  WRITES  315 

tercepted,  and  her  deep  and  bitter  chagrin  in   conse- 
quence. 

"  That  was  my  chief  thought,  Stanley.  I  could 
scarcely  spare  even  a  moment's  consideration  for  the 
poor  frau,  who  sat  in  trembling  expectation  of  being 
hauled  off  to  prison  for  the  rest  of  her  life.  Her  con- 
cern was  no  more  for  me  than  was  mine  for  her,  and 
her  one  exclamation  was :  '  However  will  poor  Stein 
manage  to  live  without  me ! '  She  was  not  long  in 
suspense,  poor  soul,  for  they  let  her  go  after  giving  her 
such  a  scolding  as  one  would  give  in  dear  old  England 
to  a  naughty  child,  and  had  she  been  a  child  in  reality 
she  could  not  have  cried  more  copiously  or  promised 
more  earnestly  not  to  be  naughty  again.  Poor,  honest, 
homely  soul ! — invaluable  as  a  domestic  machine,  but 
not  very  brave, 

"  Me  they  treated  with  the  honour  due  to  a  notabil- 
ity in  disgrace.  I  did  not  cry — need  I  tell  you  that  ? 
I  would  not  let  them  see  what  I  felt ;  but  I  thought 
of  you  and  how  you  would  have  had  me  carry  my 
head  high  and  show  the  boldest  of  fronts  to  the  world. 
I  did  it.  But,  ah  me,  what  a  crushed  heart  it  was  I 
brought  back  to  Crudenstadt ! — so  bruised,  so  sore,  so 
aching,  that  it  seemed  to  me  impossible  the  officials 
should  not  see  what  a  mockery  was  the  smile  on  my 
lips  and  the  confidence  I  strove  with  all  my  will  to 
force  into  my  manner. 

"If  they  could  only  have  seen  me  later  when  I  was 
alone,  when  the  acting  was  over,  the  gewgaws  and  dress- 
ing laid  aside,  and  I  was  myself,  and  myself  only  in  the 
dark  hours  of  that  night !  What  a  miserable  little 
cheat  they  would  have  thought  me  ;  what  a  skeleton 
coward  to  have  been  tricked  out  in  all  the  fraudulent 


316  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

finery  and  pageant  of  courage,  confidence  and  pride! 
Your  poor  Celia  that  night  was  poor  indeed,  broken, 
weak  and,  oh,  so  desolate  ! 

"  But  that  was  my  hour  of  weakness,  and  I  was  so 
miserable  that  I  have  never  had  another.  I  won't 
have  one.  I  won't  let  myself  give  way.  Whenever 
the  temptation  comes — and  I  think  every  woman  must 
have  known  of  such  temptation  when  the  thought  of 
relying  on  somebody  else  instead  of  on  oneself  only  is 
the  one  consolation — I  just  laugh  at  myself,  and  put  it 
off.  I  reflect  that  by  and  by  when  you  and  I  are  to- 
gether I  may  be  as  weak  as  I  please,  for  you  will  fight 
my  battles,  and  I  shall  not  need  to  worry. 

"  By  all  which  you  will  see  I  am  now  as  confident  as 
ever.  Even  more  confident,  perhaps,  for  I  am  finding 
out  many  things,  and  among  them — the  extreme  dif- 
ficulties that  exist  in  coercing  a  wilful  young  woman 
even  in  Court  circles.  Shall  you  think  me  very  wicked 
if  I  confess  that  sometimes  I  have  actually  enjoyed 
myself  in  my  new  surroundings  ?  I  can  see  half  a 
frown  on  that  grave  face  of  yours,  and  I  believe  I  al- 
most caught  the  faint  echo  of  a  sigh  of  apprehension 
as  you  read  that.  But  you  are  wrong.  It  is  not  that 
kind  of  enjoyment.  Puzzle  that  out  for  yourself, 
Stanley,  and  then  read  on  and  see  the  kind  of  enjoy- 
ment I  do  mean. 

"  They  brought  me  to  a  big  house  in  Crudenstadt 
which  I  find  is  the  abode  of  His  Excellency,  General 
von  Eckerstein.  He  is  the  Duke's  confidential  adviser, 
I  am  told — and  I  don't  envy  the  poor  Duke  in  that  case. 
There  is  a  Mrs.  Generaf— a  feeble,  querulous  invalid — 
amiable  by  nature,  but  whose  amiability  has  been  un- 
fortunately spoiled  by  her  husband's  immense  position 


CELIA  WRITES  317 

— immense  in  his  and  her  eyes.  She  would  have  made 
a  capital  wife  for  him  had  he  remained,  say  a  colonel 
in  a  marching  regiment,  where  she  would  have  en- 
chanted all  who  came  near ;  but  as  her  husband  seems 
to  be  virtual  ruler  of  the  Duchy,  her  health  and  her 
limited  capacity  have  proved  her  undoing.  As  the 
General  rules  the  Duke  she  wants  to  rule  every  one 
else — and  she  does  not  take  kindly  to  such  a  little  Eng- 
lish rebel  as  I  am. 

"  But  there  is  another  rebel  in  the  house — the  young- 
est daughter — a  delightful  girl  who  has  become  my 
closest  friend,  takes  the  deepest  interest  in  me,  has 
heard  from  her  unwary  mother  all  about  a 'dreadful 
Englishman  named  Meredith  who  persecuted  me ; ' 
and  she  will  go  through  fire  and  water  to  help  me. 
She  knows,  your  sister,  and  hence  our  postal  arrange- 
ments are  now  organised. 

"  Now  as  to  my  enjoyment.  You  are  the  cause  of 
this — as  of  everything  happy  in  my  life.  I  didn't  hear 
any  sigh  when  you  read  that,  sir.  From  the  moment 
of  my  entering  the  house,  His  and  Her  Excellencies 
have  not  ceased  to  try  and  instil  into  me  a  sense  of 
my  '  high  position,'  and  its  chiefest  duty — to  accept 
the  exalted  mission  in  regard  to  the  succession  and 
consequently  to  renounce  England — and  Englishmen. 
Here  is  a  typical  scene  of  the  kind : 

"  I  am  reading  in  my  room — I  have  lovely  rooms  and 
all  that  luxury  can  do  to  make  me  forget — what  I  don't 
forget, — is  done  for  me.  I  am  indeed  a  most  distin- 
guished person.     Enter  His  and  Her  Excellencies  : 

"  '  Your  Grace  is  at  liberty  for  a  few  minutes  ? '  the 
General  always  is  spokesman — and  a  dexterous-tongued 
spokesman  too. 


318  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  '  Certainly — so  far  as  a  prisoner  can  be  at  liberty  ;  '  I 
sigh  with  exaggerated  emphasis,  and  lay  down  my  book. 

" '  Prisoner  is  a  strange  term  to  come  from  so  hon- 
oured and  illustrious  a  guest  in  my  house.' 

"  '  I  am  sorry  the  term  grates  upon  your  Excellency's 
ears  ;  but  it  may  serve  to  let  you  understand  how  the 
thing  itself  chafes  me.  Guest  or  prisoner,  which  you 
will,  is  the  arrangement  to  be  permanent  ?  ' 

"'If  your  Grace  would  only  see  reason,  a  word 
would  be  enough  to  change  everything.  Your  illus- 
trious father,  the  Duke,  is  only  too  anxious  for  that 
word  to  be  spoken.' 

""'  What  word  is  that?  '  and  with  aggressive  provo- 
cation I  glance  down  at  my  finger  at  a  certain  ring. 
And  then  His  Excellency  frowns  heavily  and  Her  Ex- 
cellency bridles. 

" '  You  have  but  to  signify  your  acceptance  of  the 
high  mission  to  which  you  have  succeeded  by  birth.' 

"  '  I  accept  it  cheerfully  and  at  once.  I  have  no  other 
desire  in  life.'  Rut  I  have  played  this  trick  three  or 
four  times  and  the  General  knows  it  now.  The  frown 
deepens. 

"  '  I  refer  to  your  Grace's  succession  to  the  Throne,' 
he  says,  a  little  sullenly. 

" '  Oh  that !  '  and  I  try  to  make  my  manner  espe- 
cially contemptuous  as  though  Thrones  were  a  drug  in 
the  market. 

"  '  I  wish  your  Grace  would  be  serious,'  he  remon- 
strates.    Then  I  flash  fire. 

"  'You  mean  I  ought  to  wear  a  long  face  ;  pretend 
to  be  vastly  overwhelmed  with  the  honours  offered  me; 
believe  that  this  kind  of  ice-house  splendour  spells  hap- 
piness ;  and  play  at  being  ready  to  give  up  for  it  the 


CELIA  WRITES  319 

only  real  happiness  I  desire.  Put  off  my  talisman,  per- 
haps ' — and  I  hold  out  my  left  hand  conspicuously  and 
defiantly — '  promise  to  be  false  to  the  man  whose  truth 
is  pledged  to  me  ;  break  my  oath  and  dishonour  my- 
self on  the  canting  Court  plea  of  the  exigencies  of  my 
high  mission.  God  forbid  I  should  be  such  a  dishon- 
ourable  hypocrite.' 

"  '  I  am  grieved  to  see  your  Grace  maintains  the 
same  regrettable  attitude.' 

"  '  You  mean  you  are  sorry  to  find  that  I  love  Sir 
Stanley  Meredith  and  am  a  girl  who  will  not  pluck  my 
love  out  at  ten  minutes'  notice  at  the  false  bidding  of 
some  dishonourable  notions  of  honour  ! '  Then  having 
been  sufficiently  indignant,  I  pause,  look  at  their  Ex- 
cellencies and  with  a  dramatic  and  rather  rhapsodical 
gesture,  exclaim  :  '  But  what  nobler  examples  could  I 
have  than  your  two  selves?  I  appeal  from  present 
words  to  that  dear  love  which  like  a  glorious  sun  has 
warmed  and  goldened  all  your  lives.  You  have  loved 
with  the  love  and  truth  that  have  defied  the  years,  and 
would  you  counsel  me  to  be  false  ?  ' 

"  '  That  is  very  different,'  murmurs  Mrs.  General  in 
a  tone  that  shows  she  is  anything  but  unmoved.  But 
the  General  himself  is   flint  against  sentiment. 

"  '  It  is  the  lot  of  Rulers,  your  Grace,  to  enjoy  many 
privileges  and  blessings,  but  in  return  and  as  a  coun- 
terpoise, it  may  be,  it  is  required  of  them  to  subject 
some  of  their  most  cherished  desires  to  the  welfare  of 
their  people  ; '  and  that  is  the  preface  to  a  long  disser- 
tation upon  my  duty  and  an  appeal  to  me  to  yield  to 
the  pressure  of  the  position  and  throw  myself  at  the 
feet  of  the  Duke.  But  my  answer  is  becoming  stereo- 
typed already. 


320  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  '  I  have  no  desire  to  rule.  I  will  marry  no  one  but 
Sir  Stanley  Meredith,  unless  he  bids  me.  I  am  pledged.' 
I  say  this  very  firmly  and  pick  up  my  book  again  to 
end  the  interview. 

"  So  you  see  it  is  still  our  comedy ;  and  now  you 
know  what  I  mean  by  rather  enjoying  it." 

The  letter  then  in  the  diary  form  gave  me  a  clear 
picture  of  her  life  at  the  General's,  and  under  a  two 
days'  later  date  had  the  following : 

"  In  one  of  my  interviews  with  the  General  to-day, 
there  was  a  most  surprising  admission  made.  The 
Duke,  it  seems  after  all,  does  not  know  of  my  existence, 
while  someone  else  is  claiming  to  be  me.  My  gaoler 
— as  I  called  him  to-day  to  his  infinite  horror — is  as  a 
rule  particularly  guarded  in  his  speech,  but  to-day  he 
was  worried — 1  believe  the  Duke  is  ill,  though  the  se- 
cret is  werl  kept — and  he  let  drop  a  phrase  about  my 
decision  being  too  late  if  not  made  at  once.  Some  sort 
of  instinct  seemed  to  push  the  words  of  my  answer  in- 
to my  mouth. 

"  '  Your  Excellency  should  have  told  the  Duke  about 
me  before,  and  he  would  have  known  my  decision.'  I 
saw  in  a  moment  by  the  way  the  reply  affected  him 
that  I  had  forced  open  one  of  the  most  secret  pigeon- 
holes of  his  thoughts. 

"  '  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  I  understand  your  Grace,' 
he  said. 

"  I  mean  that  the  Duke  does  not  even  know  of  my 
existence,  because  for  some  purposes  you  have  been 
keeping  the  matter  from  him :  possibly  you  thought 
that  the  difficulty  of  reconciling   him  to  me  would  be 


CELIA  WRITES  321 

immensely  increased  if  I  were  found  to  be  obstinately 
opposed  to  the  whole  thing.  You  wished,  no  doubt, 
to  be  able  to  present  me  to  him  as  a  dutiful,  obedient 
and  loving  daughter  instead  of  what  I  am,  an  alien  bit- 
terly opposed  to  you  and  to  the  scheme  ;  and  now, 
finding  I  continue  obstinate,  you  tell  me  I  may  be  too 
late.     I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  your  Excellency.' 

"  I  have  never  seen  him  so  moved  as  he  was  then  and 
I  am  sure  I  had  guessed  right.  He  stared  at  me  with 
eyes  that  seemed  to  glance  fire  ;  I  felt  the  power  in  him 
and  half  trembled  even  as  I  smiled. 

"  '  Your  wilfulness  is  the  sown  seeds  of  disaster  for 
the  unfortunate  people  of  the  Duchy,'  he  said  sternly, 
in  a  voice  as  hard  and  harsh  as  an  anvil-ring.  •  You 
take  a  fearful  responsibility.     There  is  talk  of  another 

claim '  he  checked    himself,  and    rising  abruptly, 

begged  me  to  excuse  him.  I  believe  he  was  half  beside 
himself  with  suppressed  rage." 

A  few  lines  lower  Celia  told  me  the  chance  had  come 
of  despatching  her  packet  to  me  and  the  letter  closed 
hurriedly. 

The  news  was  of  the  utmost  importance.  If  Celia's 
sharp  little  wits  had  really  penetrated  the  Minister's 
secret  I  could  readily  understand  his  uneasiness,  and  I 
resolved  to  turn  it  to  the  best  account.  His  conceal- 
ment of  the  facts  concerning  Celia  might  cause  the 
claim  on  Katrine's  behalf  to  reaclrthe  Duke  first — for 
von  Kronheim  had  plenty  of  means  to  get  at  the  Ducal 
ear — and  in  such  an  event  there  was  abundant  ground 
for  anticipating  any  amount  of  confusion  and  trouble. 

I  wrote  my  letter  to  the  Minister  at  once,  therefore, 
on  the  lines  I  had  resolved,  and  added  the  sting  that 


322  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

I  sought  an  interview  with  the  Duke  himself  to  explain 
Celia's  position  ;  and  I  sent  Wilson  with  it,  giving  him 
instructions  to  deliver  it  only  into  the  hands  of  the 
Minister  or  his  secretary. 

Then  I  set  about  making  such  inquiries  as  I  could 
concerning  the  Duke's  health.  But  as  Celia  had  said, 
the  secret  was  well  kept,  and  I  could  find  out  nothing. 

I  was  in  high  spirits,  however.  Celia's  delightful 
letter  with  its  abundant  proofs  of  her  high  confidence 
and  undimmed  courage,  and  above  all,  of  her  staunch 
fealty  to  our  love  under  the  ordeal  of  separation,  could 
not  fail  to  fill  me  with  a  belief  that  we  should  yet  tri- 
umph over  all  the  troubles  and  obstacles. 

On  reflection  I  was  strongly  inclined  to  think  she 
had  found  the  very  kernel  of  the  Minister's  policy.  He 
had  known  well  enough  the  objection  which  his  master 
would  raise  to  any  reconciliation  scheme.  The  Duke's 
hatred  of  his  mad  wife  had  become  the  consuming 
passion  of  his  old  age;  and  one  almost  insuperable  ob- 
stacle to  the  recognition  of  her  child  as  his  own  daughter 
and  heiress  was  the  abandonment  of  this  moodily 
nursed  and  cherished  belief  in  his  wife's  falseness. 

To  acknowledge  the  daughter  now  would  be  tanta- 
mount to  admitting  full  belief  in  the  mother's  truth ; 
to  sweep  away  at  a  blow  all  the  props  and  foundations 
of  his  bitter,  relentless  hate ;  to  confess  himself  in  the 
wrong  and  his  wife  right ;  and  to  show  himself  to  the 
world  as  a  jealous  persecutor,  unjustified  and  with  no 
plea  of  excuse  save  that  of  his  wilful,  malignant  blind- 
ness. To  wring  such  a  confession  from  a  man  whose 
intolerance  of  counsel  was  only  equalled  by  his  dogged 
adherence  to  a  view  once  expressed  and  a  plan  once 
formed,  was  a  task  which  might  well  tax  the  powers  of 


CELIA  WRITES  323 

even  so  astute  a  minister  as  von  Eckerstein.  The  lat- 
ter's  influence  had  only  increased  when  the  Duke's 
powers  were  known  to  be  waning ;  but  there  was  one 
subject — the  Duchess — on  which  his  strength  of  feel- 
ing never  altered  or  faltered  ;  and  the  task  would  thus, 
even  under  the  happiest  auspices,  have  been  one  of 
infinite  difficulty. 

But  the  auspices  were  anything  but  happy.  If  there 
was  one  thing  the  Duke  would  brook  from  no  man, 
woman  or  child,  it  was  open  opposition.  In  his  declin- 
ing years  something  could  be  done  by  a  show  of  yield- 
ing and  subservience ;  but  the  assertion  of  rights,  the 
formulating  of  claims,  the  signs  of  even  mild  contradic- 
tion and  the  symptoms  of  direct  opposition  found  him 
as  hard  as  basalt  against  which  arguments,  facts, 
entreaties,  and  invective  broke  with  no  more  effect  than 
sea  spray  against  the  rock. 

It  was  easy  to  see,  therefore,  how  loth  the  minister 
was  to  take  Celia  to  him  in  any  other  than  a  mood  of 
submissive  pliancy  ;  and  how  utterly  confounding  to 
his  plans  was  her  attitude  of  resolute  antagonism.  The 
difficulties  would  have  been  great  enough  with  a  girl 
willing  to  throw  herself  at  the  Duke's  feet  as  a  suppli- 
ant, and  ready  to  promise  any  and  everything  in 
return  for  the  blessing  of  ducal  forgiveness  and  recog- 
nition. But  with  Celia,  the  very  embodiment  of  active 
and  stinging  antagonism,  it  was  no  wonder  he  had  put 
off  the  task  of  telling  him  that  she  was  in  Cruden- 
stadt. 

Piecing  together  the  facts  I  had,  therefore,  and  guess- 
ing more,  I  was  not  altogether  surprised  to  receive  a 
note  in  reply  to  mine,  requesting  me  to  call  on  the 
Minister  the  next  morning.     It  was  a  good  sign  and 


324  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

pleased  me.  He  had  turned  me  out  of  his  presence 
less  than  a  week  before,  with  an  implied  threat  of  ex- 
pulsion from  the  Duchy ;  but  his  threat  had  been  no 
more  than  air;  and  now,  unless  I  read  the  facts  all 
wrong,  he  was  going  to  ask  me  to  help  him. 

I  was  anxious  for  the  interview  and  I  went  to  it  full 
of  confidence.  As  I  was  ushered  into  his  presence  the 
recollection  of  Celia's  description  of  her  interview 
flashed  into  my  thoughts  and  I  had  all  I  could  do  to 
restrain  my  temptation  to  smile. 

"  You  have  written  me  a  very  strong  letter,  Sir  Stan- 
ley," he  began. 

"I*  am  glad  your  Excellency  appreciates  its  strength. 
I  meant  it  to  be  strong,  because -it  appears  to  me  strong 
measures  must  be  adopted.  I  mean,  of  course,  from 
my  side,"  I  hastened  to  add.  "You  tried  your  strong 
measures,  you  took  forcible  and  unlawful  possession  of 
my  ward,  and  you  threatened  to  turn  me  out  of  the 
Duchy.  Under  such  circumstances  a  milk  and  water 
policy  would  be  useless." 

u  The  young  lady  is  not  your  ward." 

"  Pardon  me,  she  was  my  uncle's  ward,  and  I  am  my 
uncle's  heir  and  successor.  She  was  actually  on  her 
way  to  England  under  the  conditions  I  had  arranged 
when  your  agents  intercepted  her  and  carried  her, 
where  I  shall  yet  find  her." 

"  She  is  in  my  own  house." 

"  Then  you  are  detaining  her  most  illegally.  By 
what  right,  I  should  like  to  know,  do  you  imprison 
young  girls  in  your  house  ?  "  and  I  put  a  good  show  of 
indignation  into  my  manner.  "  Wherever  she  ought 
to  be,  she  should  not  be  here.  If  she  is  my  ward, 
restore  her  to  me.     If  she  is  the  Duke's  daughter,  take 


CELIA  WRITES  325 

her  to  the  Duke's  residence.  But  you  have  no  right  to 
keep  her  here." 

"  Is  this  necessary?  "  he  asked  quietly,  with  a  signifi- 
cant look. 

"  It  is  my  protest  against  your  conduct,"  I  cried, 
warmly. 

"  Very  well,  now  that  you  have  made  it,  let  us  get 
to  other  matters.  Do  you  mean  that  you  are  going  to 
flaunt  the  story  of  the  young  Duchess  and  of  her  ill- 
fated  mother — who  by  the  way  is  once  more  under 
restraint — all  over  the  world,  through  the  medium  of 
that  precious  boon  of  England — your  free  press  ?  " 

"  I  can  understand  your  dislike  of  a  power  that 
threatens  to  be  so  embarrassing." 

"And  you  are  then  going  to  Berlin?  I  have  no  ob- 
jection to  that,  and  I  have  no  objection  to  any  legal 
process;  but  surely  your  chivalry  will  not  let  you  per- 
secute with  the  sword  of  publicity  this  young  lady 
whom  you  profess  to  regard  and  esteem."  His  taunt, 
quietly  spoken,  hurt,  and  I  was  sorry  I  had  even  used 
the  threat ;  but  I  could  not  show  a  sign  of  weakness. 

"  I  hope  to  gain  my  end  without  that  becoming 
necessary." 

"  Necessary !  "  he  said,  with  a  very  biting  accent. 
"Well,  we  won't  labour  that  point,  but  will  presume 
you  will  prefer  to  act  as  an  Englishman  of  position,  a 
gentleman  and  a  man  of  honour."  I  relished  his  irony 
none  the  more  for  the  fact  that  apparently  it  was  mer- 
ited. "  I  mean  to  be  frank  with  you,  Sir  Stanley,  and 
invite  you  to  be  so  with  me ;  and  I  shall  give  you 
ample  reasons  why  there  can  be  no  publicity.  First, 
let  me  tell  you  that  the  Count  Carl  von  Kronheim  has 
made  this  claim,  on  behalf  of  his  wife,  whom  he  now 


326  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

calls  the  Duchess  Celia ;  and  the  Duchess  Marie  sup- 
ports it.  In  doing  this,  they  gave  me  a  clue  to  their 
whereabouts,  and  I  have  placed  the  Duchess  once  more 
in  the  hands  of  those  who  will  know  how  to  take  care 
of  her ;  and  have  provided  a  place  of  residence  also  for 
the  Count  and  his  wife.  He  says  nothing  openly  of 
the  extraordinary  story  of  the  change  of  children." 

"  You  have  not  investigated  the  story  ?  "  I  asked,  as 
he  paused. 

"  Well,  in  a  way,  yes.  And  a  fresh  complication  has 
occurred.  It  appears  that  the  adventuress — I  can  call 
her  nothing  better  and  will  for  the  moment  call  her 
nothing  worse — who  is  the  mother  of  the  Count's  wife, 
—  the  Countess  Borgen,  has  been  greatly  exasperated 
by  his  conduct  to  her  in  the  last  week  or  two,  and  has 
taken  a  woman's  revenge.  She  has  given  me  in  detail 
the  distressing  facts  of  the  past  life  of  the  girl  through 
whom  the  Count  makes  his  claim.  I  will  not  go  into 
them " 

"  I  know  something  of  the  story,"  I  interposed. 

"Well,  I  will  only  say  it  shows  her  to  be  a  quite  im- 
possible claimant.  Von  Kronheim  is  a  reckless  dare- 
devil— like  all  his  family  indeed — and  having  concocted 
the  fraud  is  determined  to  make  the  most  of  the 
claim." 

"  Does  Baroness  Borgen  support  that  changeling 
story  ?  "  I  asked  eagerly,  for  it  was  the  pith  of  the 
matter  to  me.  '■'> 

"  She  says  nothing  either  way  and  is  contented  to 
have  made  her  other  revelations.  But  my  opinion  is 
that  von  Kronheim,  finding  that  he  could  do  nothing 
to  bend  the  Duchess  Celia  to  his  plans — and  she  is  not 
exactly  pliable  in  any  hands — has  hatched  this  change- 


CELIA  WRITES  327 

ling  story  in  order  to  gain  his  end  that  way.  It  is  noth- 
ing but  impure  fable  from  start  to  finish,  and  it  may 
be  so  regarded,"  he  said,  speaking  with  very  deliberate 
emphasis. 

"  I  do  not  take  that  view  of  it,  nor  will  my  cousin," 
I  made  haste  to  say.     "  You  have  not  tested  it." 

For  a  moment  he  did  not  reply,  but  sat  fingering  his 
papers  and  then  turning  to  me  he  said  with  what  struck 
me  as  forced  calmness  : 

"  It  is  that  which  has  induced  me  to  see  you,  Sir 
Stanley.  I  feared  you  would  take  the  impossible  view 
that  this  story  might  be  true.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the 
witnesses  have  disappeared  ;  the  two  women,  I  mean," 
and  he  stared  dead  into  my  eyes. 

"Convenient,"  I  exclaimed,  with  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders. 

"  Most  inopportune  and  unfortunate,"  he  returned, 
in  the  same  dead  level  tone. 

"  They  must  be  found,  your  Excellency." 

"  Yes,  they  must  be  found,"  he  agreed,  still  in  the 
same  tone.  "  But  it  may  be  difficult  and  will  take 
time.  The  story  is  none  the  less  a  fable,  and  the 
young  Duchess  must  meanwhile  take  her  rightful  posi- 
tion. And  you,  Sir  Stanley,  will  help  in  securing  this 
end."  As  he  said  this  his  eyes  fastened  on  me  with  a 
look  of  almost  fascinating  intentness.  I  seemed  in 
that  instant  to  realise  all  that  Celia  had  meant  about 
feeling  the  power  in  him.  I  was  saturated,  so  to  speak, 
with  the  instant  and  overpowering  conviction  that  he 
knew  he  could  beat  me ;  that  for  his  confident  declara- 
tion he  had  reasons  so  strong  that  I  could  not  hope  to 
resist ;  and  that  in  some  way  he  held  both  Celia  and 
me  fast  in  his  grip.     It  was  a  most  absorbing,  eerie 


328  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

sensation,  and  I  tried  to  shake  myself  free  from  it,  as 
I  laughed  and  cried  incredulously  : 

"  I  help  you  !  "  but  the  laugh  died  away  under  the 
set  stare  of  his  stern,  beady  eyes. 

"  Yes,  you  will  help  me,  I  repeat,"  he  said,  after  a 
long  pause.  "  Not  through  any  thought  for  the  Duke 
or  any  of  the  great  interests'involved — but  because  you 
hold  dear  the  reputation  of  the  young  girl  you  call 
your  ward." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  I  asked.  I  was  no  longer 
incredulous,  but  deeply  earnest,  full  of  troubled  dread 
and  impatient  to  know  what  this  strange  secret  was  he 
was  keeping  back. 

For  a  moment  he  played  with  my  impatience. 

"  If  you  would  not  blight  her  life,  you  will  have  to 
do  this,"  he  said. 

"  Quick,  man,  quick,"  I  cried  impetuously  and  an- 
grily ;  so  deeply  had  he  worked  upon  my  feelings. 
"  Say  what  you  mean." 

He  paused  even  then,  and  after  a  moment,  speaking 
with  calculated  deliberation,  he  bared  the  new  weapon 
he  had  prepared  for  my  undoing. 

"  If  you  would  not  see  that  sweet  young  girl  whom 
you  cherish  and  have  hoped  to  marry  branded  in  the 
eyes  of  Europe  as  the  daughter  of  a  convicted  mur- 
deress, you  will  give  the  help  that  is  needed.  And 
that  is  the  only  alternative  before  you." 


CHAPTER  XXX 

DEATH   TO   THE   RESCUE 

It  was  some  moments  before  I  could  realise  the  full 
significance  of  General  von  Eckerstein's  words  and  all 
that  they  meant  to  Celia  and  me  ;  and  I  sat  staring  at 
the  tense,  relentless,  grim  face  whose  eyes  were  fixed 
steadfastly  on  me  as  if  they  would  burn  their  way  into 
the  innermost  recesses  of  my  soul. 

The  power  of  my  antagonist  positively  appalled  me, 
crashed  through  the  barriers  of  my  confidence  and 
stifled  the  instinctive  prompting  to  doubt  the  truth  of 
his  words ;  and  I  sat  shrinking  from  his  implacable 
purpose  and  overwhelmed  by  the  consciousness  of  his 
capacity  and  intent  to  force  his  way  to  the  end  he  had 
in  view. 

"  This  is  not  true,"  I  said  at  length  ;  but  the  protest 
sounded  feeble  even  in  my  ears. 

"  Don't  buoy  yourself  with  false  hopes.  I  have  my- 
self investigated  every  detail  of  the  case,  although  the 
facts  have  only  recently  come  to  my  knowledge.  The 
victim  was  the  child  of  the  girl,  Katrine,  and  the 
Baroness  Borgen  put  it  to  death  with  her  own  hands 
to  save  the  reputation  of  her  daughter.  The  crime 
was  cowardly  and  callous,  and  revoltingly  barbarous  in 
some  of  the  details  of  disposing  of  the  body.  I  will 
spare  you  them  ;  but  they  are  such  that  every  mother 
in  Europe  would  lift  up  her  voice  and  cry  for  vengeance 
upon  the  murderess,  were  the  story  told."     He  spoke 

329 


330  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

with  clear  belief — compelling  deliberation.     "  It  is  in 
every  respect  a  terrible  story." 

Then  I  tried  to  force  myself  to  oppose  him. 

"  This  is  nothing  to  Celia,"  I  cried,  passionately. 

"  Can  a  mother's  crime  be  nothing  to  her  daughter  ?  " 
he  asked,  coldly.  4<  Is  it  nothing  that  all  through  her 
life  the  world  would  point  to  her  as  the  daughter  of 
one  of  the  most  infamous  and  inhuman  women  of  the 
age  ?  Is  it  nothing  that  day  after  day,  week  after 
week,  year  after  year,  her  own  heart  is  to  whisper  to 
her  in  every  hour  of  weakness,  in  every  moment  of  that 
solitary  self-communing  which  no  human  soul  can 
escape:  'I  am  the  daughter  of  a  murderess?  My 
mother's  hands  were  red  with  blood  '  ?  Is  it  nothing 
that  when  her  own  babes  are  drawing  from  her  breast 
the  life  the  giving  of  which  is  the  rarest  delight  that 
nature  bestows,  she  is  to  be  haunted  by  the  tainting 
thought — '  They  are  the  offspring  of  a  murderess '  ? 
Ask  any  woman,  Sir  Stanley,  if  your  own  heart  doubts, 
and  then  tell  me  it  is  nothing — if  you  can.  If  she  were 
vile,  callous,  cruel,  infamous  like  this  woman,  it  might 
be  nothing ;  but  being  what  she  is — God  help 
her!" 

"  She  must  never  know  it !  "  I  exclaimed  involun- 
tarily. 

"  But  it  is  you  who  would  force  the  knowledge  upon 
her,"  he  answered,  deliberately.  "  When  the  trial  takes 
place  and  the  facts  come  out  in  all  their  bare  horror, 
how  can  she  fail  to  know  what  must  be  common  knowl- 
edge from  one  end  of  Europe  to  the  other  ?  Nay, 
where  is  the  daughter's  place  but  by  the  side  of  her 
mother  ?  Do  you  know  her  so  ill  as  to  think  she  is  a 
coward  to  shrink  even  from  such  an  ordeal  if  she  con- 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  331 

ceived  it  her  duty ;  or  believe  that  she  would  take  any 
less  standard  of  duty  ?  " 

His  words  burned  like  brands  in  the  grasp  of  a  tor- 
turer, and  I  sat,  unable  to  answer,  even  to  protest.  It 
was  nothing  less  than  the  horrible  truth  that  he  spoke  ; 
and  in  my  thoughts  I  could  see  her  doing  just  what  he 
said — facing  the  world  with  scornful  defiance,  but  suf- 
fering, ah,  God,  as  only  such  a  heart  as  Celia's  could 
suffer. 

"  It  is  you  who  would  put  her  this,"  he  added  after 
a  moment,  weighing  his  words  and  watching  intently 
their  effect  upon  me.  "  It  is  you  who  persist  in  ac- 
cepting this  wild,  sensational  fable.  It  is  you  who,  to 
suit  your  own  purposes,  Sir  Stanley,  repudiate  this 
young  girl's  history  as  given  to  us  by  your  uncle,  and 
declare  that  she  is  not  the  daughter  of  the  Duchess,  but 
the  daughter  of — this  infamous  woman,  at  least  " — here 
he  paused,  and  his  expression  changed  to  one  of  almost 
diabolical  cunning  as  he  added  with  slow,  deep  signifi- 
cance :  "  That  was  your  belief.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
one  or  the  other." 

I  knew  his  meaning  well  enough  and  what  he  was  wait- 
ing for  me  to  say  ;  and  struggle,  resist,  and  fight  as  I 
would,  I  could  not  slip  from  the  coils  he  had  wound 
round  us. 

"  She  must  never  know  it ! "  I  exclaimed  again, 
giving  utterance  to  my  one  all-absorbing  thought. 
Come  what  might  the  knowledge  must  be  kept  from  her. 

"  You  mean  then  that  you  will  agree  with  me  in  dis- 
believing this  changeling  story,"  he  said,  with  a  cold 
distinctness  of  tone.  "  She  is  not  the  daughter  of  this 
infamous  wretch.  You  see  she  cannot  be?  You  see 
now  the  unnaturalness  of  the  fable  ?     The  impossibility 


332  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

of  such  a  relationship  ?  In  that  case,  it  follows  she 
must  be  daughter  of  the  Duchess  Marie,  and  as  such 
must  take  her  rightful  position.  You  see  that  too  now. 
And  what  is  more,  you  understand  how  the  friends  of 
one  so  exalted  might  be  willing  for  her  sake  to  keep 
silence  about  even  such  a  crime  as  this,  where  the 
criminal  has  been  falsely  associated  with  her." 

It  is  impossible  to  convey  a  description  of  the  subtlety 
with  which  he  said  this.  But  it  was  a  blunder.  Up  to 
that  point  I  had  been  stunned  by  the  logic  of  facts  ; 
but  this  was  different.  He  was  proposing  a  bargain — 
his  silence  for  my  consent.  And  in  a  moment  the  in- 
stinct to  continue  the  fight  against  him  revived,  and  I 
began  by  tearing  the  veil  from  his  pretence. 

"  Let  us  speak  in  plain  terms,  if  you  please,"  I  said, 
nervously  at  first,  but  then  with  more  composure. 
**  You  mean  the  price  of  this  silence  is  that  I  agree  to 
help  you  to  induce  my  cousin  to  take  her  position  as 
the  Duke's  daughter  ;  and  you  propose  to  force  me  to 
pay  it  by  threatening  to  obtain  publicity  for  this  story 
by  prosecuting  this  woman  for  the  deed  you  allege 
against  her." 

"  The  young  lady  you  call  your  cousin — a  mistaken 
term  in  either  event,  Sir  Stanley — is  the  daughter  of 
either  the  Duchess  Marie  and  so  next  in  succession  to 
the  throne,  or  of  the  Baroness  Borgen,  whose  crime 
stands  unpunished.  I  believe  she  is  the  young  Duch- 
ess." 

"  And  if  we  will  not  accept  that  belief  you  threaten 
to  proclaim  her  the  daughter  of  a  murderess  !  " 

"  If  she  be  not  the  young  Duchess  there  is  no  longer 
any  State  reason  for  saving  a  criminal  from  a  rightly 
merited  punishment." 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  333 

That  was  another  blunder,  and  I  fastened  on  it 
instantly. 

"  No  reason  ! "  I  answered  indignantly,  "  on  the  con- 
trary there  is  more  reason  than  ever,  according  to  the 
logic  you  apply.  If  we  accept  the  view  that  this  wo- 
man is  Celia's  mother  then- her  crime  was  perpetrated 
to  save  the  reputation — of  whom  ?  "  I  asked  trium- 
phantly. "  Of  whom  but  of  her  who  is  the  young 
Duchess  herself  ?  And  the  victim  was  that  same  young 
Duchess's  love  child.  Surely  that  is  scandal  enough  to 
impel  even  you  to  silence." 

But  he  would  not  yield  a  jot  or  tittle  of  his  ruthless 
doggedness. 

"  That  fact  would  not  transpire,  and  if  it  did,  the  for- 
tunes of  that  young  woman  can  never  affect  the  State. 
She  is,  as  I  have  said,  impossible.  We  have  to  look 
only  at  the  effect  upon  the  Baroness's  daughter."  This 
shuffling  evasion  angered  me,  and  the  anger  came  as  a 
welcome  relief. 

"It  is  infamous,  your  Excellency,  nothing  less  than 
infamous.  You  treat  the  happiness  of  this  pure  and 
innocent  girl  as  a  mere  pawn  in  the  sordid  game  of 
statecraft  about  the  succession." 

"  The  exigencies  of  the  young  Duchess's  high  posi- 
tion render  some  amount  of  self-sacrifice  inevitable. 
Think  before  you  decide." 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  God  knows,  as  hard  as  I  can. 
I  must  have  the  proofs  of  this  wretched  woman's  crime." 

"  The  facts  are  here  at  your  disposal,"  he  answered 
readily.  "  I  have  had  them  prepared  for  you — without 
the  names  of  course  ;  but  every  word  set  down  is  ca- 
pable of  the  fullest  proof." 

I  plunged  at  once  into  the  papers  he  laid   before  me. 


334  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

I  need  not  give  the  loathsome  details  of  the  crime  here 
and  it  is  sufficient  to  say  they  were  gruesome,  barbar- 
ous, and  utterly  revolting,  and  I  rose  from  the  des- 
cription of  them  horrified,  sickened,  and  appalled. 
The  deed  was  all  that  the  minister  had  described  and 
worse  than  the  worst  he  had  suggested. 

The  thought  that  Celia  should  even  have  cause  to 
believe  herself  the  child  of  such  an  inhuman  creature 
as  the  fiend  whose  work  was  here  described  was  intoler- 
able ;  and  again  I  resolved  that  she  should  never  know 
the  story,  if  efforts  of  mine  could  prevent  it. 

Hot  upon  this  resolve  came  the  passionate  conviction 
of  the  impossibility  of  such  a  relationship.  My  senses 
rose  in  rebellion  against  the  thought  ;  and  my  former 
assertions  of  a  belief  in  the  changeling  fable  became  in 
an  instant  like  black  treachery  against  Celia.  Come 
what  might,  the  falseness  of  that  infernal  story  must  be 
proved.  She  was  not,  could  not  be  the  daughter  of 
this  infamous  Baroness  Borgen,  and  my  energies,  nay, 
my  life  itself  must,  if  necessary,  be  devoted  to  proving 
the  falsity  of  what  an  hour  before  I  had  sought  with 
equal  earnestness  to  believe. 

While  I  was  plunged  in  this  maelstrom  of  troubled 
thought  the  Minister  had  been  writing,  and  when  at 
length  I  looked  up  from  the  papers,  I  found  his  eyes 
bent  upon  me  with  an  intensely  earnest  expression. 

"  You  have  finished  ?  You  take  my  word  now  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  I  would  doubt  the  existence  of  my  God  if  I  thought 
that  Celia  could  be  this  fiend's  child,"  I  cried,  some  of 
the  passion  in  me  finding  vent  in  the  outburst.  "  The  lie 
of  that  slander  must  be  proved.  I  will  not  rest  till  it 
is  done." 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  335 

"You  are  right,  Sir  Stanley,  and  if  I  can  prove  it 
now?"  he  asked. 

"  I  will  do  anything  you  ask.  Anything  in  the 
wide  world." 

"  You  will  help  me  to  influence  the  young  Duchess  ?  " 
The  question  came  rapidly,  like  the  sharp,  vigorous 
thrust  of  a  rapier,  and,  absorbed  by  my  concern  for 
Celia,  I  answered  quickly : 

"With  every  power  at  my  command;"  and  then, 
realising  all  I  was  promising,  I  added — "  if  that  should 
prove  necessary."     The  condition  irritated  him. 

"  I  must  have  an  unconditional  pledge,  Sir  Stanley," 
he  insisted.  But  the  demand  was  not  warranted.  It 
was  unjust,  too,  and  superfluous.  "  What  do  you 
mean  by  necessary?"  he  added  when  I  paused. 

"  I  will  give  no  other  pledge,"  I  answered  more 
quietly,  "  and  you  should  ask  none.  Your  object  is 
gained  in  our  recognition  of  the  real  position  of  the 
young  Duchess — and  I  will  pledge  my  honour  to  help 
in  securing  that.  I  have  no  right,  nor  have  you,  to 
fetter  her  action  when  once  her  status  is  acknowledged." 

"You  must  give  me  your  pledge  to  renounce  the 
scheme  for  this  impossible  and  preposterous  marriage. 
I  can  be  content  with  nothing  less,"  he  asserted,  with 
deliberate  emphasis. 

"  What  will  you  do,  then,  when  I  say  I  will  not  give 
it  ?  And  I  will  not.  Do  you  mean  you  would  try  to 
put  all  this  vile  and  painful  slander  upon  her  when  she 
is  proved,  acknowledged,  and  proclaimed  as  the  Duke's 
daughter  and  heiress?  " 

"  I  must  have  your  word,"  he  said,  sternly,  not  heed- 
ing my  remonstrance.  "  I  will  have  it."  His  tone 
rose  almost  to  passion  as  he  thrust  his  chair  back  and 


336  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

began  to  pace  the  room.  "  I  will  have  nothing  less>. 
Do  you  know  what  this  is  that  I  have  been  writing 
while  you  read  ?  It  is  the  warrant  for  that  woman's 
arrest — the  signal  for  all  this  to  commence  ;  the  match 
that  shall  fire  the  lurid  flames,  and  if  you  do  not  give  me 

your  word,  I  will "  he  stopped  suddenly  as  the  door 

was  opened,  and  Celia  herself  came  in,  followed  by  the 
Minister's  secretary,  gesticulating  in  energetic  protest. 
Her  face  was  flushed,  her. expression  proud  and  indig- 
nant, but  her  eyes  as  they  met  mine  beamed  with  love, 
tempered,  however,  by  a  light  of  mischievous  enjoy- 
ment of  the  scene.     I  knew  the  look  well  enough. 

"  If  I  must  be  a  prisoner  in  your  Excellency's  house, 
I  must  at  least  request  that  your  servants  shall  not  in- 
terfere with  me.  Your  secretary  here  has  tried  to  stop 
my  entering  the  room,  and  would  almost  have  ventured 
upon  force,  I  think." 

A  wave  of  the  hand  dismissed  the  rather  bewil- 
dered secretary. 

"  Your  Grace  has  taken  an  inopportune  step  in 
coming  here,"  said  the  Minister,  angrily. 

"  I  do  not  think  so,"  Celia  answered,  quietly,  and  then 
came  and  put  her  hands  into  mine.  "  Do  you,  Stanley  ?  " 

Grateful  and  sweet  as  the  sight  of  her  always  was  to 
my  eyes,  it  must  be  confessed  her  arrival  was  not  with- 
out embarrassment  at  that  moment.  I  stood  newly 
pledged  to  use  my  utmost  endeavours  to  urge  her  to 
acknowledge  her  relationship  to  the  Duke,  and  thus 
even  the  little  innocent  action  of  putting  her  hands  in 
mine  was  in  its  way  disconcerting.  To  cover  the  pause 
of  thought  and  also  to  solve  the  difficulty,  I  carried 
her  fingers  to  my  lips  with  a  touch  of  old-fashioned  gal- 
lantry, and  then  released  them. 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  337 

"  To  me  your  coming  can  never  be  inopportune, 
you  know  that  ?  " 

All  the  assumption  of  indignation  fell  from  her  then,, 
and  with  it  faded  the  light  of  mischief,  giving  place  to 
some  doubt  and  signals  of  troubled  concern. 

"  Sir  Stanley  Meredith  and  I  have  been  discussing 
your  Grace's  affairs,"  said  the  Minister.  "  He  sees  now 
that  the  proofs  of  your  birth  are  irrefutable,  and  that 
your  Grace's  duty  is  to  take  those  steps  which  are 
inseparable  from  your  position." 

Cclia  was  not  by  any  means  so  impressed  as  he  had 
expected,  but  the  clouds  cleared  from  her  face,  and  she 
smiled. 

"  If  Stanley  approves  any  course  of  action  for  me, 
I  am  sure  it  will  not  be  a  disagreeable  one,"  she 
said.  "  I  am  very  weary  of  all  this  talk  about  my  posi- 
tion, which  seems,  so  far,  to  abound  in  disagreeable 
duties  without  a  single  corresponding  pleasure.  But  if 
you  have  a  fresh  definition  of  them,  Stanley,  I'll 
promise  to  listen  patiently,"  and  with  a  very  pretty 
assumption  of  submissive  patience,  she  sat  down  and 
looked  at  me. 

"  What  his  Excellency  tells  you  is  a  fact.  I  can  no 
longer  doubt  that  you  are  the  Duke's  daughter.  It  is 
no  longer  possible  to  doubt  it,  indeed." 

"  And  that  means  ?  "  she  asked,  looking  at  me  sharply, 
and  ostentatiously  fingering  her  ring. 

"  That  you  should  take  the  necessary  steps  to  secure 

a    reconciliation    with    your    father,    the  Duke."     She 

started  as  I  referred  to  the  relationship,  her  fingers  fell 

away  from  her  ring,  and  her  hand  ■  gripped  the  arms  of 

her  chair. 

"  It  is,  then,  serious,"  she  said  m  :  low  voice.    Then, 
22 


338  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

after  a  pause,  she  added  quickly,  "  What  has  happened 
to  cause  this?  " 

The  Minister  was  beginning  to  reply,  when  she  inter- 
fered with  a  peremptory  little  gesture  of  authority. 

"  Pardon  me,  your  Excellency,  I  prefer  to  hear  it 
from  Sir  Stanley  Meredith."  She  had  met  *me  with 
my  own  weapon,  and  her  face  wore  an  expression  in 
which  were  blended  challenge,  love,  mischief  and  re- 
sentment. 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  serious,"  I  answered,  earnestly. 
"  Certain  facts  have  come  to  my  knowledge — I  cannot 
tell  you  them — but  they  make  further  doubt  impossi- 
ble ;  and  it  is  my  sincere  and  honest  advice  to  you,  to — 
to  seek  this  reconciliation."  She  listened  with  a  strained 
intent  which  brought  a  frown  to  her  face,  and  it  re- 
mained there  after  I  had  finished,  and  while  she  thought. 

"  You  learnt  these  facts  from  General  von  Ecker- 
stein  ?  " 

"  You  do  not  think  I  should  urge  this  if  I  were  not 
thoroughly  convinced  ?  "  and  the  protest  in  the  ques- 
tion had  the  effect  I  desired.  It  convinced  her  ;  but 
the  sight  of  her  sudden  pain  smote  my  heart. 

"No,  I  trust  you  absolutely."  The  words  came  in 
a  low,  faltering  tone  ;  but  she  would  not  let  her  suffer- 
ing have  the  upper  hand.  "  We  can  speak  of  that  part 
again.    "  Does  this  entail  a  change  in — in  everything  ?  " 

Brave  as  she  was,  she  could  not  prevent  her  lip 
trembling  so  that  she  had  to  press  it  tightly  and  hold 
it  with  her  white  teeth. 

"  Everything,  your  Grace,"  said  the  Minister,  re- 
lentlessly.    But  Celia  flamed  upon  him  proudly. 

"That  is  the  first  word  of  hope  I  have  had  since  I 
came  in.     When  an  enemy  is  so  ready  to  demand  every- 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  339 

thing,  I  may  know  the  demand  is  exaggerated  and  that 
I  can  hope." 

"  God  knows  I  am  not  your  Grace's  enemy.  I  have 
served  your  house  with  all  my  heart,"  cried  the  Minis- 
ter, stung  deeply  by  the  taunt. 

"  I  wish  you  had  done  them  any  other  service  than 
this,"  she  retorted,  untouched  by  his  protest  ;  and  then 
a  silence  fell  on  us,  which  Celia  broke  presently  by  say- 
ing: "  Do  you  say  it  involves  everything,  Stanley?" 
There  was  no  fence  now,  no  playing  with  words,  no 
pretence,  nothing  but  the  plain  question  straight  from 
her  heart ;  and  love,  fear,  agony  and  appeal  were  in  her 
eyes  and  voice. 

"  H-is  Excellency  and  I  were  discussing  that  very 
point  when  you  came  in,  Celia.  I  had  agreed  with  him 
that  you  should  certainly  take  your  position  here  as 
the  Duke's  daughter,- but  that  it  was  not  for  him  or 
me  to  say  as  to — to  anything  beyond  that." 

"  I  was  sure  of  it,"  she  cried  instantly,  turning  on 
him  in  triumph,  while  she  pressed  her  lips  to  her  ring, 
and  added,  in  a  tone  of  infinite  relief:  "  On  that  con- 
dition I  will  do  anything,  everything  you  wish.  Tell 
me,  please,  what  I  am  to  do." 

"  I  can  best  discuss  these  matters  with  you  privately," 
he  answered,  scarcely  attempting  to  suppress  his  anger. 

"Why?  nay,  I  will  not,"  she  cried  in  the  same  tone, 
gathering  confidence  every  moment.  "  I  am  either  Sir 
Stanley's  ward,  in  which  case  he  has  a  right  to  be  pres- 
ent, or  I  am  the  Duchess  Celia,  and  can  claim  to  have 
the  presence  and  assistance  of  my  truest  friend  and 
most  trusted  adviser.  When  your  Excellency  has  done 
a  tithe  for  me  of  what  I  owe  to  Sir  Stanley,  it  will  be 
time  for  you  to  dictate  conditions;  but  not  until  then." 


340  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

His  chagrin  at  this  was  little  short  of  amusing. 

"  I  appeal  to  you,  Sir  Stanley,  to  withdraw,"  he  said 
next. 

"  With  all  respect  I  must  decline.  You  have  gained 
your  end,  and  this  is  a  point  which  should  not  be 
pressed.  Indeed,  I  have  a  strong  desire  to  know  pre- 
cisely how  the  matter  stands  with  the  Duke." 

Celia  took  up  that  and  answered  promptly  and  point- 
edly. 

"  The  truth  is,  I  have  good  reason  to  say,  that  the 
Duke  knows  nothing  whatever  of  my  presence  in  Cru- 
denstadt,  and  probably  not  even  of  my  existence." 

"  Is  this  so,  your  Excellency  ?  "  I  asked,  as  if  in  the 
deepest  surprise,  while  Celia  threw  me  a  swift  glance 
of  understanding. 

He  made  no  reply,  and  I  repeated  the  question. 

"  In  a  measure  it  is  so,"  he  said  slowly.  "  You  do  not 
understand  nor  can  you  appreciate  the  difficulties  of 
the  case." 

"  But  without  the  Duke's  recognition,  how  on  earth 
can  you  hope  to  make  such  a  claim  as  this  good  ?  It 
is  of  the  very  essence  and  pith  of  the  matter.  What 
do  you  propose  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  shall  lay  the  case  before  him  now  with  all  des- 
patch." 

"  And  if  he  will  not  or  does  not  recognise  me,  what 
then?"  cried  Celia,  wickedly  enjoying  the  old  man's 
perplexity. 

"  He  will  do  so,  your  Grace  need  have  no  fear." 

"  My  feeling  is  not  fear ;  it  is  hope.  But  if  he  does 
not?" 

"  There  is  no  such  possibility,"  he  said,  doggedly, 
almost  angrily. 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  341 

"  But  if  he  does  not  ?  "  she  insisted  again. 

"  Your  claim  would  fail,  of  course.  But  it  is  not  pos- 
sible with  the  influences  that  can  be  brought  to  bear. 
I  must  respectfully  decline  to  discuss  such  an  alter- 
native. And  now  I  must  suggest  that  this  interview 
should  end.  Nothing  more  can  be  done."  He  spoke 
very  sternly  and  shortly. 

"  I  shall  see  you  again,  Stanley,"  said  Celia,  rising. 

"  I  must  respectfully  protest  against  that,"  exclaimed 
the  Minister,  sharply.  "  I  cannot  permit  it  of  my  own 
authority,  and  such  a  meeting  can  only  take  place  with 
my  master's  sanction." 

"  I  have  already  asked  you  to  procure  me  an  au- 
dience with  the  Duke,"  I  declared,  for  his  imperious 
tone  angered  me. 

"  And  until  that  can  take  place  and  you  can  procure 
the  necessary  sanction,  such  a  meeting  as  this  is  im- 
practicable." 

"  You  have  overcome  greater  obstacles  than  this, 
Stanley,"  said  Celia,  rebelliously  and  smiling  to  me  as 
she  held  out  her  hand.  "Your  Excellency  now  can 
scarcely  think  my  coming  was  inopportune,"  she  said 
as  she  passed  him.  But  he  made  no  reply  except  to 
bow,  as  he  held  the  door  open  for  her,  his  face  dark, 
stern  and  very  angry  looking. 

"  And  now,  Sir  Stanley,  we  will  resume  our  confer- 
ence where  it  was  interrupted.  You  accept  my  terms  ?  " 
he  said  abruptly. 

"  The  matter  is  different  from  what  I  understood. 
The  Duke  himself  has  given  no  indication  of " 

"  I  cannot  discuss  that  with  you,"  he  interposed, 
curtly  and  peremptorily. 

"  As  you  please,  sir,  but  I  will  discuss  nothing  at  all 


342  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

until  I  know  what  the  position  will  be  should  His 
Highness  refuse  to  recognise  his  daughter.  And  I 
must  protest  very  strongly  indeed  against  the  tone 
which  you  are  adopting.  You  are  no  dictator  in  the 
matter,  and  the  assumption  of  such  a  role  can  only  in- 
crease the  difficulties  of  an  already  sufficiently  difficult 
matter." 

He  didn't  like  the  protest,  but  it  had  its  effect. 

"  I  do  not  pose  as  dictator,"  he  said  not  graciously, 
but  with  far  less  curtness.  "  But  this  question  of  the 
Duke's  attitude  is  superfluous.  I  assure  you  of  that. 
I  do  not  deny  for  an  instant  that  His  Highness's 
avowed  recognition  of  the  legitimacy  of  his  daughter's 
claims  is  of  the  very  essence  of  the  affair.  Without  it, 
the  claim  must  fail  as  a  matter  of  course.  But  I  know 
my  master  intimately,  and  how  keenly  he  feels  on  the 
subject  of  the  succession  ;  and  I  can  pledge  myself  with 
absolute  confidence  that  he  will  recognise  her.  It 
would  therefore  be  grievous  were  you  and  the  Duchess 
Celia  to  build  anything  upon  the  chances  of  his  not 
doing  so.  That  is  all.  And  of  course  the  mere  fact  of 
recognition  must  put  all  thought  of  this  sadly  obstruc- 
tive marriage  quite  out  of  the  question.  That  is  why 
I  urge  upon  you,  therefore,  the  extreme  necessity  of 
your  abandoning  it  at  once.  It  must  be,  Sir  Stanley. 
Facts,  not  I,  dictate  the  urgency." 

His  moderate  tone  had  much  more  effect  upon  me 
than  his  previous  threats,  and  after  a  pause  I  answered  : 

"  I  can  say  no  more  now,  than  to  promise  to  think 
over  the  situation  most  carefully ;"  and  I  was  about  to 
leave  him  when  there  came  another  of  those  swift  al- 
most dizzying  dramatic  turns  which  had  so  marked  the 
latter  developments  of  the  struggle. 


DEATH  TO  THE  RESCUE  343 

The  secretary  entered  hurriedly,  looking  pale  and 
much  excited. 

"  Your  Excellency  is  wanted  at  once,  if  you  please. 
There  is  terrible  news.  His  Highness  the  Duke  is 
dead." 

"  Dead  !  "  we  both  exclaimed,  in  the  same  breath ; 
and  the  interchange  of  rapid  glances  told  how  the 
same  thought  had  been  started  in  each. 

"  Has  died  suddenly  of  heart  failure,"  continued  the 
secretary. 

"  Good  God ! "  exclaimed  the  Minister,  under  his 
breath  ;  and  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment  he  ap- 
peared suddenly  to  forget  all  about  my  presence,  and 
hurried  away,  leaving  me  in  a  condition  of  great  per- 
plexity and  scarcely  less  excited  than  himself. 

I  recalled  his  words — almost  the  last  he  had  said  to 
me.  Without  her  father's  recognition  Celia's  claim 
must  fail.  This  dramatically  sudden  death  had  inter- 
vened to  make  such  a  recognition  for  ever  impossible. 
In  a  moment  the  whole  intrigue  about  the  succession 
was  thus  scattered  to  the  winds — and  Celia  would  be 
free  again. 

The  secretary  lingered,  looking  at  me  and  expecting 
me  to  leave. 

"  Shall  I  tell  them  to  call  your  carriage,  Sir  Stanley  ?  " 
he  suggested,  after  a  moment  or  two. 

"  No,"  I  answered,  firmly,  my  decision  taken.  "  My 
ward  must  know  this  at  once.     I  must  see  her." 

"  Pardon  me.     I  cannot  without  authority "  he 

began,  but  had  no  need  to  complete  his  protest,  for 
Celia  herself  came  in. 

"  I  wondered  if  you  were  still  here.  Is  the  news  of 
the  Duke  true.     They  tell  me  he  is  dead."     She  was 


344  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

pale  and  spoke  in  a  low  voice  with  every  sign  of  being 
much  disturbed  and  nervous. 

"  Yes,  it  is  true.  I  have  this  moment  heard  it  from 
this  gentleman.     He  died  suddenly  of  heart  failure." 

"  What  will  it  mean  to  us  ?  "  she  asked,  wistfully. 

"  Everything,  I  think." 

She  closed  her  eyes,  locked  her  fingers  tightly,  sighed 
and  then  involuntarily  crept  a  step  or  two  closer  to 
me,  but  remembering  the  presence  of  the  secretaiy, 
checked  herself.  Then  a  servant  came  in  search  of 
her. 

"  Her  Excellency  would  be  glad  to  see  your  Grace," 
he  said. 

"  I  will  come.  I  had  better,  hadn't  I  ?  I  shall  see 
you  again  soon,"  she  whispered. 

"  Very  soon,"  I  promised,  and  our  hands  clasped. 

It  meant  so  much  for  us,  it  was  not  humanly  pos- 
sible to  feel  sorrow.  We  were  lovers,  and  although  it 
was  death  that  had  swept  the  barriers  out  of  our  way, 
we  could  not  in  that  moment  think  of  anything  but 
our  love. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

AT   LAST 

I  WAS  right  in  my  instinctive  forecast.  The  death 
of  the  Duke  meant  everything  to  us.  The  days  he  lay 
in  state  were  days  of  continuous  intrigue  about  the 
succession,  and  for  a  time  I  half  feared  that  Berlin 
would  declare  in  favour  of  Celia's  cause.  That  it  was 
not  so,  General  von  Eckerstein  had  himself  mainly  to 
blame. 

Berlin  had  been  misled,  even  as  we  had,  in  regard  to 
the  Duke's  knowledge  of  Celia  and  his  recognition  of 
her  legitimacy ;  and  the  strongest  censure  was  passed 
on  him,  both  for  his  lack  of  frankness  and  for  his  pro- 
crastination. 

A  very  high  and  mighty  personage  came  to  Cruden- 
stadt  and  was  extremely  successful  in  entirely  misun- 
derstanding Celia's  position.  The  General  fell  almost 
into  disgrace,  and  was  brushed  aside  as  a  person  of 
quite  secondary  importance  who  had  committed  grave 
blunders. 

The  great  personage  saw  me  and  explained  the  po- 
sition with  much  condescension,  distant  urbanity  and 
delightful  misappreciation  of  Celia's  wishes.  At  great 
length  he  expounded  the  many  weighty  state  reasons 
why  Celia  could  not  be  supported,  and  when  I  argued 
any  of  them,  he  elaborated  and  explained  them  in  an 
almost  apologetic  vein. 

"  I  really  cannot  admit  any  such  claim.     It  is  very 

345 


346  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

painful  for  the  young  lady — a  very  charming  young 
lady,  I  believe — for  I  have  thought  it  best  not  to  see 
her,  as  we  cannot  encourage  her  to  hope  for  support, — 
but  of  course  very  English,"  and  he  smiled  as  he 
pointed  out  this  distressing  fact.  "  It  would  have  been 
all  so  different  had  the  late  Duke  admitted  the  claim 
and  been  reconciled  to  her ;  it  would  have  changed 
the  whole  position.  She  owes  this  disappointment 
entirely  to  General  von  Eckerstein,  indeed.  We  should 
have  had  no  locus  standi  for  interference  then.  But  I 
put  it  to  you  ;  look  at  the  evidence.  Did  you  ever 
see  such  a  complication  ?  " 

"  It  was  considered  very  clear,"  I  ventured,  secretly 
rejoicing  at  the  line  he  was  taking.  "  It  is  a  very  serious 
matter  for  my  ward." 

"  Considered !  Yes,  it  may  have  been.  But  what 
does  it  rest  on?  Nothing;  indeed,  less  than  nothing. 
We  have  the  statement  of  the  servant,  Schwartz,  and 
we  had  the  confirming  assertion  of  the  unfortunate 
Duchess  Marie  ;  but  in  the  first  place  her  mind  is  af- 
fected, and  in  the  second  she  has  changed  her  ground, 
and  supported  somebody  else's  claim — a  person  who 
is  absolutely  outside  the  pale  of  possibility.  What 
other  evidence  is  there  ?  "  and  he  spread  his  hands  out 
with  an  expression  suggestive  of  the  preposterous  ab- 
surdity of  the  case. 

"  There  is  my  uncle's  written  statement,"  I  suggested, 
looking  deeply  impressed  by  his  eloquence,  but  yet 
bound  to  urge  Celia's  claim. 

"  Yes,  but  what  does  it  amount  to  ?  Of  course,  it 
is  very  sad  for  your  ward,  and  very  disappointing, 
but " 

"  Very,"  I  answered,  when  he  paused.     "  It  would 


AT  LAST  347 

be  difficult  to  gauge  the  measure  of  her  disappoint- 
ment," as  indeed  I  knew.  "  But  she  must  try  to  bear 
up  against  it." 

"  If  only  the  Duke  had  admitted  the  claim  it  would 
have  been  so  different.     Of  course,  you  see  that  ?  " 

"  You  have  put  it  now  so  strongly  that  she  could  not 
fail  to  see  it  as  clearly  as  I  do,"  I  said,  as  if  convinced 
now  and  able  to  contend  no  longer.  "  And  what  do 
you  think  would  be  the  best  course  for  her  to  pursue?  " 

"  It  is  about  that  I  wished  to  see  you  ; "  and  for  an 
instant  he  became  very  serious.  **  The  position  is  very 
delicate.  The  Duke's  son  will  succeed,  despite  his 
health,  but  with  a  strong  Regency.  What  will  be  done 
afterwards  I  can't  say.  But  I  was  going  to  suggest  to 
you,  Sir  Stanley — you  English  are  as  practical  as  our- 
selves generally — do  you  think  it  would  be  possible  to 
prevail  upon  your  ward  to  leave  Crudenstadt  and  re- 
turn, say,  to  London  ?  " 

"  It  might  be  possible,"  I  admitted,  doubtfully,  with 
a  grave  nod  of  the  head. 

"  Her  continued  presence  here  might  become  em- 
barrassing, you  see.  I  don't  for  a  moment  attribute 
to  her  anything  but  the  most  prudent  intentions,  but 
you  can't  answer  for  what  other  people  might  try  to 
do  in  her  jiame.  If  you  could  prevail  upon  her  to 
absent  herself  for  a  time  at  any  rate  you  would  be 
rendering  us  and  in  point  of  fact  her  as  well,  a  valuable 
service.;  what  think  you  ?" 

"  I  have  some  influence  with  her,"  I  admitted. 

"  You  will  use  it  I  am  sure  in  the  best  interests  of 
all,"  and  he  beamed  upon  me  through  his  spectacles; 
and  manifestly  plumed  himself  upon  his  successful 
diplomacy  and  the  clever  way  in  which  he  was  hand- 


348  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

ling  me  and  getting  all  he  wanted.  I  felt  quite  sorry 
Celia  herself  was  not  present,  and  after  an  appearance 
of  reflection,  I  said  : 

"  The  matter  is  so  important  that  my  ward  herself 
ought  really  to  be  present  and  hear  what  you  say.  It 
might  strengthen  my  influence  with  her,  you  see." 

"  If  you  think  so  by  all  means,  but  there  is  just  one 
other  point.  When  the  claim  is  once  abandoned,  it 
might  be  more  satisfactory  if  your  ward's  assent  to  the 
abandonment  were  in  writing.  Only  a  form,  of  course, 
but  in  these  matters  some  people  rather  stickle  for 
forms." 

"That  might  also  be  possible,"  I  agreed,  after  a 
pause.  u  If  you  were  to  put  it  to  her,  I  think  perhaps 
I  could  see  my  way  to  assist  you  ; "  and  I  looked  very 
serious  indeed. 

As  the  interview  took  place  in  General  von  Ecker- 
stein's  house  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  get  at  Celia,  and 
she  came  in,  looking  very  pale  and  anxious,  but  on 
seeing  me  and  reading  intuitively  the  expression  on 
my  face,  her  own  brightened. 

The  illustrious  Berliner  had  not  seen  her  before,  so 
I  told  her  in  a  tone  of  awe  suited  to  his  rank  who  he 
was,  and  made  haste  to  open  the  matter. 

"A  crisis  has  been  reached  in  your  affairs,  Celia,  and 
His  Highness  has  been  speaking  to  me  on  the  matter. 
You  will  have  to  prepare  yourself  to  receive  his  com- 
munication with  fortitude.  His  Highness  has  grave 
doubts  whether  your  claim  to  the  throne  of  the  Duchy 
can  possibly  be  maintained."  Her  eyes  which  had 
been  fixed  on  the  floor  while  I  spoke,  flashed  up  at  me 
now,  and  lingered  a  moment  on  mine  with  deep  mean- 
ing, and  then  turned  upon  his  Highness.     "  Such  a 


AT  LAST  349 

disappointment  as  is  involved  in  this  decision  for  you, 
Celia,  may  be  difficult  to  bear,  but  you  must  be  brave," 
I  added. 

"  Is  it  quite  decided  ? "  she  asked  in  a  tone  which 
showed  me  she  had  caught  the  spirit  of  the  scene,  and 
she  looked  almost  appealingly  in  the  great  man's  face. 

His  Highness  had  been  looking  intently  at  her,  and 
I  was  much  mistaken  if  his  obviously  very  impression- 
able nature  had  not  found  her  beauty  a  very  great 
surprise,  and  a  very  attractive  one.  It  was  perhaps 
just  as  well  that  he  had  made  his  decision  first  and 
seen  the  object  of  it  afterwards. 

44  Your  ward  is  much  older  than  I  had  expected,  Sir 
Stanley,"  he  said ;  and  the  remark  showed  how  badly 
he  had  got  his  facts  up  ;  but  both  Celia  and  I  appeared 
to  find  a  suggestion  of  something  more  than  mere  sur- 
prise in  his  words,  for  a  very  suspicious  colour  crept  into 
her  cheeks,  and  I  could  have  smiled,  if  I  had  not  been 
on  my  most  correct  behaviour.  "  I  am  distressed  to 
be  the  means  of  causing  so  much  disappointment  and 
pain  to  so  beautiful  a  young  lady  ;  but  the  exigencies 
of  State  unfortunately  know  nothing  of  such  matters." 

"  Is  it  quite  decided  ?  "  asked  Celia  again,  eager  as  I 
thought  to  get  the  fact  officially  announced. 

"  I  fear  I  must  say  quite,"  was  the  reply,  and  then 
he  went  again  over  the  ground  of  the  decision  as  he 
had  with  me.  "  Sir  Stanley  tells  me,"  he  concluded, 
14  that  he  has  some  influence  with  you." 

44  Indeed,"  interposed  Celia,  with  a  glance  of  excel- 
lently assumed  surprise. 

41  I  correctly  understood  you,  Sir  Stanley  ?  " 

44  As  guardian,  of  course,"  I  said,  apologetically. 

44  Ah,  if  I  were  only  your  ward,"  retorted  Celia. 


350  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"If  His  Highness  decides  as  he  says,  Celia,  that  re- 
lationship will  revive  ;  I  think  you  must  see  that,"  I 
explained  in  an  appropriately  grave  tone. 

"  Never,"  she  cried,  quite  audaciously,  as  she  twirled 
her  ring. 

"  I  shall  be  sorry  if  your  residence  at  Crudenstadt 
has  destroyed  old  associations  in  the  way  your  protest 
suggests." 

"  I  don't  remember  that  obedience  was  ever  the  chief 
characteristic  of  my  wardship,"  and  her  eyes  were 
laughing  at  me  in  flat  rebellion  right  under  the  eyes 
of  the  great  personage,  who  appeared  considerably 
puzzled  by  this  passage. 

"You  may  put  it,  your  Highness,"  I  said  turning 
to  him,  "  that  I  will  use  such  influence  as  I  possess  to 
help  you  in  achieving  the  end  you  desire." 

He  bowed  courteously,  and  then  looked  in  much 
doubt  at  Celia. 

"  I  suggested  to  Sir  Stanley  that  it  would  be  advis- 
able if  you  could  be  prevailed  upon  to  leave  Cruden- 
stadt, at  any  rate  for  a  time.'' 

"  In  the  unimportant  matter  of  my  personal  move- 
ments I  have  always  allowed  my  guardian's  decision 
to  prevail,"  said  Celia,  demurely,  and  with  an  excel- 
lent parody  of  the  great  man's  manner. 

"  Then  you  will  leave  ?  "  he  said,  and  his  tone  was 
one  of  unmistakable  satisfaction. 

"  If  my  guardian  so  decides,  I  shall  feel  I  have  no 
option."  His  Highness  glanced  at  me  as  though  he 
had  scored  another  success. 

"  There  is  one  other  point,  more  or  less  a  formality," 
he  said,  with  an  engaging  smile.  "  It  refers  to  the 
abandonment  of  your  claim.     I  was  explaining  to  Sir 


AT  LAST  351 

Stanley  in  your  interest  that  if  the  fact  were  put  in 
writing  it  would  tend  to  clear  the  air  of  all  possible 
complications  and  be  so  much  better  for  all  parties." 

"  And  does  my  guardian  actually  advise  me  to  do 
that  ?  "  asked  Celia,  open-eyed  as  with  astonishment. 

"  I  said  it  was  possible  you  might  be  induced  to  do 
so,  Celia.     I  only  spoke  as  I  thought,  of  course." 

"  But  if  I  do  this,  I  am  only  a  girl,  what  is  to  be- 
come of  me  ?  "  she  exclaimed  in  most  theatrical  dismay. 

"You  need  have  no  fear  on  that  head,"  said  the 
great  man.  But  that  was  not  what  Celia  meant  or  de- 
sired, and  I  interfered  : 

"  Of  course,  if  you  resumed  your  position  as  my 
ward,  your  welfare  would  be  again  the  charge  of  us  all." 

"  Of  you  all !  "  she  cried  again,  pressing  me  most 
daringly,  her  face  crinkled  in  perplexity  and  her  eyes 
dancing  with  gleeful  mischief. 

"  As  head  of  my  family,  you  would  be  my  special 
charge,  Celia,"  I  said,  and  at  that  direct  statement, 
she  had  to  lower  her  face  to  conceal  the  blush  which 
it  brought.  "  I  think  I  can  say  that  Celia  would  recog- 
nise the  prudence  of  such  a  step,  your  Highness." 

"  I  felt  convinced  of  that  and  as  a  matter  of  form  " — 
this  seemed  to  be  one  of  the  stock-in-trade  phrases  of 
his  illustriousd  iplomacy — "  I  had  a  paper  just  thrown 
together.  If  you  would  look  at  it  now,  Sir  Stanley, 
the  matter  might  be  completed,  and  I  could  acquaint 
Berlin." 

I  read  it  through  and  found  it,  as  I  had  anticipated, 
a  very  carefully  drafted  renunciation  by  Celia  of  all 
claims  to  the  throne ;  and  it  was  signed  and  sealed 
there  and  then  with  all  the  necessary  formalities. 
When  these  were  concluded,  I  asked  : 


352  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

"  When  do  you  think  my  ward  should  leave  Cruden- 
stadt  ?  " 

"  The  sooner  the  better,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

"  To-night  ?  " 

"  If  it  be  practicable  for  the  necessary  preparations 
to  be  made  ?  "  he  answered  with  a  questioning  glance 
at  Celia. 

"  I  could  try.  I  have  before  now  had  to  travel  at 
very  short  notice  and  without  any  preparations.  And 
if  it  is  really  a  matter  of  urgency,  I  think  I  could  do 
it,"  she  declared. 

"  There's  only  an  hour  to  catch  the  mail,"  said  I. 

"  I'm  afraid  that's  altogether  too  short  a  notice," 
suggested  the  great  man. 

"  Still,  to  serve  the  State,  I'll  make  an  effort,"  cried 
Celia  ;  and  then  suddenly  her  powers  of  pretence  gave 
way,  she  laughed  brightly  and  ran  out  of  the  room  like 
a  happy  schoolgirl  going  home  for  the  holidays. 

His  Highness  stared  after  her,  greatly  puzzled. 

"  She  is  a  very  beautiful  girl,  and  a  very  unusual  one, 
Sir  Stanley.  Upon  my  word  I  almost  think  she  is 
glad  to  go." 

"  She  has  a  very  affectionate  nature,  your  Highness, 
and  likes  England,"  I  replied  with  preternatural  gravity. 
"  She  is  moreover  very  much  attached  to  my  sister, 
too." 

"  Umph.  Your  sister  is  a  very  lucky  girl,"  he  said 
drily.  "  And  perhaps  of  about  your  own  age  ?  "  Which 
seemed  to  show  that  even  illustrious  personages  are 
not  impervious  to  the  truth. 

"  My  sister  is  years  younger  than  I  am,"  I  answered; 
u  about  the  same  age  as  Celia  herself." 

"  Ah  !  "  he  smiled,  meaningly,  and  shook  hands  very 


AT  LAST  353 

cordially.  "  I  congratulate  your  sister  and — yourself, 
Sir  Stanley.  We  have  been  playing  a  little  comedy,  it 
seems,  and  it  might  have  saved  time  had  you  told  me 
before.  But  you  will  catch  that  train,  I've  no  doubt, 
and  in  any  case  could  not  have  caught  an  earlier  one  ; " 
and  with  that  we  parted. 

We  did  catch  the  train  and  a  most  delightful  journey 
it  was  back  to  England.  Celia  had  very  little  luggage, 
but  she  was  taking  a  bulk  of  high  spirits  and  happiness 
that  proved  quite  unpackable,  even  in  her  great  heart. 
The  sunshine  of  her  delight  defied  restraint  and  burst- 
ing out  constantly,  lightened  and  brightened  every 
mile  of  the  way,  and  filled  the  stuffy  carriages,  the 
monotonous  stations,  our  whole  world  in  fact,  with  a 
radiance  that  was  like  a  new  life  that  we  were  carrying 
with  us  home  to  England. 

A  quiet  wedding  six  weeks  later  opened  for  us  the 
real  new  life,  and  we  started  on  another  journey  to 
make  that  long  ramble  about  the  world  which  I  had 
planned  once  before.  In  the  course  of  it,  four  months 
later,  we  found  ourselves  once  again  in  Crudenstadt. 

The  visit  had  been  made  possible  by  a  letter  which 
came  to  us  just  before  our  marriage  from  the  great 
Personage  at  Berlin.  It  brought  renewed  congratula- 
tions and  a  most  lovely  wedding  present  for  Celia ; 
and  then  told  us  that  under  the  altered  circumstances 
we  need  certainly  not  regard  ourselves  as  bound  to 
avoid  Crudenstadt. 

We  were  curious  to  go  there.  Alice  made  very  much 
of  us  both,  and  even  her  husband  was  cordial,  having, 
of  course,  no  reason  to  be  anything  else.  My  sister  as 
usual  had  much  news  to  tell  us. 

The  succession  question  was  still  simmering ;  the 


354  FOR  LOVE  OR  CROWN 

young  Duke  Constans  was  still  alive  and  nominally  on 
the  Throne,  but  no  one  ever  saw  him  and  he  was  drink- 
ing himself  to  death.  The  Regency  still  held  the 
power  and  under  it,  our  stern  old  antagonist,  General 
von  Eckerstein,  had  managed  to  regain  some  of  his 
influence.  Karl  von  Kronheim  and  the  Baroness  Bor- 
gen  were  dead ;  the  former  was  killed  in  an  accident 
when  riding,  mad  with  drink  ;  the  latter  had  died  with- 
in a  week  of  the  time  of  our  troubled  visit,  and  with 
her  died  the  story  of  her  crime.  Katrine  had  dis- 
appeared, and  although  we  had  our  own  thoughts, 
nothing  was  ever  heard  of  her.  It  was  a  gruesome 
story  altogether.  The  two  old  women  admitted  the 
falseness  of  the  changeling  fable  ;  but  even  this  proof 
of  the  reality  of  her  claims  did  not  make  Celia  wish  to 
press  them,  or  even  to  stay  in  Crudenstadt. 

We  left  the  next  day,  but  not  before  we  had  had  a 
last  look  at  the  General's  house  which  had  been  Celia's 
prison,  and  then  at  the  Duke's  Residenz,  which  might 
have  been  hers. 

"  It  is  a  splendid  place,"  said  I,  "  a  gorgeous  home 
to  have  renounced." 

"  It  has  one  fatal  flaw,''  answered  Celia,  pensively. 

"A  flaw?  How  do  you  mean?"  She  turned  and 
smiled. 

"  There  is  no  love  there,  and  no  Stanley  in  all  the 
Duchy.  I  would  ten  thousand  times  rather  have  my 
own  kingdom." 

A  preference  which,  thank  Heaven,  my  dear  wife  has 
never  repented. 

THE  END. 


A    000  128  998     2 


